That's why Type II diabetes is usually treated with diet and exercise. Dropping weight and gaining muscle helps the body use insulin more efficiently. We monitored the health of 87,000 female nurses, and found that most of the new diabetes diagnoses could be attributed to extra weight. However, diabetes is not just a matter of carrying a few extra pounds. It also matters where you carry those pounds.
Age also plays a role in Type II diabetes.
Half of all new diagnoses are people over 55, and nearly 11 percent of Americans aged 65 to 74 have type II diabetes. However, it's not clear whether age, per se, is a cause of Type II diabetes, or simply a reflection of the fact that people tend to gain weight and become less physically active as they grow older. The three critical elements for controlling diabetes are food, exercise and insulin. The rule of thumb is that food makes the glucose level rise and exercise and insulin make the glucose level fall. Diabetes control is a constant balancing act of these three factors.