What is type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a common health condition that affects 10% of the world’s population

Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.

Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals, chapatis, yams and plantain. It also comes from sugar and other sweet foods (cakes, biscuits etc.), and from the liver which makes glucose.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body for energy.

There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. 9 out of 10 people who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

The video below explains what type 2 diabetes is:

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

The diagram below shows what happens inside your body when you have type 2 diabetes:

If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this can come as a shock. In the video below people with type 2 discuss their experience of diagnosis:

How has a diagnosis of diabetes affected you? Share your experiences using the comments box below.