What is Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where you have too much glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood because your body can’t use it properly. This is because your body's way of turning glucose into energy isn’t working as it should.
The key players Insulin is a hormone (a chemical messenger) that carefully controls the amount of glucose in your blood. Insulin is made by a gland called the pancreas, which lies just behind the stomach. Glucose is what our bodies use for energy. We get glucose from various types of food and drink, including starchy foods (like bread, rice and potatoes), fruit, some dairy foods, sugar and other sweet foods.
Our livers make glucose as well. In order for our bodies to work properly, all the cells that make up our body need glucose. Insulin acts as a 'key' to unlock the cells and let the glucose in.
What does Type 2 diabetes do to me?
When you have Type 2 diabetes, the glucose in your body is not turned into energy properly. Some of the glucose gets into your body cells where it’s turned into energy, but some stays locked outside the cells. This is because your body isn’t making enough insulin - or the insulin it is making isn’t working properly.
Have a look at our short animation which explains how diabetes affects your body
Type 2 diabetes can make you
- Want to go to the loo all the time to pass urine
- Feel very thirsty and drink a lot
- Feel very tired
- Have blurry vision
- Lose weight (without trying to)
Once you start getting treatment for your Type 2 diabetes, all these symptoms will go away again. Unfortunately, if you have Type 2 diabetes you also have a bit more of a chance of having other health problems either now or in the future.
We often call these “complications”. But looking after your diabetes carefully and getting treatment from your doctor will help reduce your chances of getting any other health problems or look after any ones you might already have.
Why did I get Type 2 diabetes?
Years ago we hardly ever heard of young people getting Type 2 diabetes. But over recent years it’s getting more common, and doctors are putting a lot of it down to not being very active and being overweight.
Young people nowadays tend to spend more time at the computer or watching TV rather than playing outside and running about. That being said, not everyone who prefers a computer game to a football game is going to get Type 2 diabetes.
But we know that being less active puts you at more risk. And there are a few other things that make getting Type 2 more likely.
You’re more likely to get Type 2 diabetes if:
- You’re in your teens
- You’re Black or South Asian
- Other people in your family have Type 2 diabetes
- You’re overweight
Is there another type of diabetes?
Yes – and not surprisingly it’s called Type 1 diabetes. There are also some other really rare types of diabetes like Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and neonatal diabetes. Sometimes it’s difficult for doctors to work out exactly what type of diabetes you have, so you might need some extra blood tests. Once they know, they’ll make sure they’re giving you the right sort of treatment.
How common is Type 2 diabetes?
In adults Type 2 is by far the most common type of diabetes, but most children actually have Type 1. In fact of the 22,000 young people under 25 with diabetes, only about 1,400 have Type 2.