How do you get diabetes? ...

... This has been a question that a lot of people have been asking me. I want make sure that everyone knows what causes someone to get diabetes. I have touched upon it in a previous post. But here is the straight answer.

You cannot *get* diabetes or be *infected* with diabetes. So, touching someone with diabetes or getting intimate with someone will not cause you to get diabetes. Scientists have learned that type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body is attacking itself. Type-2 diabetes is not an autoimmune disease. They body becomes less sensitive to insulin - ie. the body builds up sort of an insulin resistance.

So, what actually causes it? There is some sort of genetics involved here for both types. If someone close to you (grandparent, parent or sibling), there is a greater chance that you may develop diabetes then someone who does not have anyone close to them with diabetes. Furthermore, we know that its not purely genetic because only 40% of identical twins BOTH have diabetes. If it was a genetic disorder, then both twins all of the time would have diabetes.

For type-1 diabetes, the second factor that is needed is what is called an environmental factor. Something needs to trigger the 'genetic defect' to attack the body. Usually its some sort of infection that will awake the immune system to attack the body.

For type-2 diabetes, a poor diet and sedimentary lifestyle seems to act as a catalyst for type-2 diabetes. I'm actually not sure what causes the body to become less sensitive to insulin. When the body becomes less sensitive, it needs to create more insulin to process the same amount of carbohydrates. There are people who aren't overweight or obese that have type-2 diabetes; however, almost all of them are over the age of 60. You normally do not find someone in good shape who has type-2 diabetes who is under 40.

What doesn't cause diabetes?
For type-1 diabetics, lifestyle does not matter. There is nothing that people can do to avoid getting type-1 diabetes. For type-2 diabetes, lifestyle can help the body become more sensitive to insulin (losing weight and exercise). But again, really you probably can only delay the onset to your later years.

Side note, I just want to say that sugar does NOT cause diabetes. I believe they reason why is people hear, 'elevated blood sugars'. Sugar equals sweets! So, sweets must cause it. Saying sweets and candy causes diabetes is like saying, eating too much bread or pasta will cause diabetes. Bread, pasta and sweets all have to same effect on blood sugar levels.