Title: Sugars and type 2 diabetes - Action on Sugar
Headings: Sugars and type 2 diabetes
Sugars and type 2 diabetes
What is type 2 diabetes?
What are the causes of Type 2 diabetes?
How does sugar contribute to the risk of Type 2 diabetes?
Complications associated with type 2 diabetes:
Current sugar intake and advice on how to prevent type 2 diabetes:

Content: There is a complex combination of genetic and environmental risk factors that play a part in the development of diabetes – it tends to cluster in families, but there is also a strong link to environmental risk factors. Ethnicity also plays a major role in its development, with people of South Asian descent being six times more likely to contract the disease [1]. Obesity is the most potent risk factor, accounting for 80-85% of the total risk of developing type 2 diabetes [5]. Given that almost 2 in 3 people in the UK are obese or overweight; their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes at some point are high unless they take evasive action [6]. Other risk groups include [1]: People over the age of 40
People with cardiovascular disease
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
People who are taking medication for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
How does sugar contribute to the risk of Type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes occurs as a result of a lack of insulin production or an increased resistance to insulin [1]. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows for the regulation of the uptake of glucose. It is released in response to increased glucose levels in the blood and allows for individual cells to take up glucose from the blood to metabolise it.