What is Type II Diabetes?

Video Transcript

"Ninety percent of the people who develop diabetes, develop type two diabetes. Type two diabetes is characterized by high blood sugars. Generally, not quite as high as type one during diagnoses. But, high enough that we can say the person has diabetes. It comes on because of four major factors. Number one is genetics. Most people who have type two diabetes have a family history of problems with maintaining normal blood sugars. The second is age. No one gets to age ninety with perfect, what we call cell receptor function in terms of insulin. And, so there is a decrease in our ability to use insulin effectively as we get older. But, the third and fourth reason are probably the most important. Because, we have an epidemic of diabetes in this country and it's very much related to the epidemic of obesity. And, so the third and fourth reason are overweight and not moving enough. And, so those are the four reasons why someone might develop type two diabetes. Now, when someone does develop type two diabetes they generally notice they're feeling very tired, less energy, sleepy a lot. Those are probably the overriding symptoms when you first develop type two diabetes. And, the reason is because when the blood sugar is high in the bloodstream it effects the nervous system and makes you feel kind of like you've taken a tranquilizer."