About 19 million Americans, many of them undiagnosed, have type 2 diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health. This number represents 90 to 95 percent of all the cases of diabetes. Although anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, it is more likely to occur if the person:

• Has insulin resistance, prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) or metabolic syndrome
  
  
• Is overweight or obese
  
  
• Has a family history of diabetes
  
  
• Is over the age of 45
  
  
• Is black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian
  
  
• Is physically inactive
  
  
• Has high blood pressure

• Has an unhealthy level of cholesterol
  
  
• Eats unhealthily
  
  
• Smokes
  
  
• Heavily uses alcohol (some research shows that modest consumption of alcohol can reduce the risk of diabetes)
  
  
• Suffers from stress
  
  
• Is male
  
  
• Is a woman with a history of gestational diabetes, giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (macrosomia) or polycystic ovarian syndrome
  
  
• Was exposed to certain chemicals, including the Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange and, according to some research, bisphenol A, an ingredient in many consumer plastics

A family history of diabetes is considered to be an even greater risk factor with type 2 diabetes as compared to type 1. According to the ADA, the chance of a child developing the disease in a family with type 2 diabetes is as follows:

Certain genes may be inherited that make a person more prone to developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, lifestyles may be passed onto children. If the parents have a diet high in saturated fat and do little exercise, the children may adopt those unhealthy habits.

Obesity is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, especially for people who carry the extra body fat around their waist (are apple shaped). The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases as body weight increases.

Weight is closely linked to many other risk factors. High-calorie diets combined with poor exercise habits contribute to a person being overweight or obese and developing insulin resistance, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome and, in women, polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Other possible factors include sleep apnea, insufficient or excess sleep and, in men, low levels of testosterone (hypogonadism), according to recent research.

Smoking and consuming large amounts of alcohol can also elevate glucose (blood sugar) and increase risk of this disease. If an individual is at risk for developing diabetes, the greatest way to reduce the risk is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.