Possible reasons to become diabetic:

§ Weight. Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to your own insulin. Still, it's not just a matter of how much you weigh. It also depends on where the weight is distributed. If you have extra weight in the upper part of your body — particularly around your abdomen — you're especially at risk. The good news is that many people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight can improve their glucose levels simply by losing weight.
§ Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose, makes your cells more sensitive to insulin, increases blood flow and improves circulation in even the smallest blood vessels. Exercise also helps build muscle mass. That's important because most of the glucose in your blood is absorbed into your muscles. When you have less muscle tissue, more sugar stays in your blood.
§ Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if you have a parent or sibling with the disease. In fact, researchers have confirmed that a variant in a particular gene increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In a July 2006 study, the risk of developing diabetes was about 80 percent higher for participants who inherited two copies of the newly identified gene variant than for participants who didn't carry the variant.
§ Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45. Often, that's because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. But diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.
§ Race. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, people of some races are more likely to develop diabetes. More than 6 percent of the general population has diagnosed diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. But that rate doubles for blacks and Hispanics and more than doubles for American Indians. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, half of all adults have type 2 diabetes — one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world.
§ Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greater. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, you're also at risk of type 2 diabetes.
§ Depression. Depression seems to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly because people with depression often gain weight and are inactive.