Popular belief is that all those who get diabetes are overweight or obese. Think again. It is true that obesity is a key risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, but that doesn’t mean that thin or skinny people can’t get the disease. You can develop type 2 diabetes regardless of your body size, particularly if you have risk factors like genetic predisposition, an unhealthy diet or a sedentary lifestyle.

Reasons why skinny people can get type 2 diabetes

Genetic predisposition: When you have a family history of diabetes, you are more vulnerable to the condition, irrespective of your body weight. If you have one parent with diabetes, your lifetime risk of developing diabetes is 40%, which jumps to 70% if both your parents are diabetic.
Visceral fat: When it comes to diabetes risk, where fat is stored matters more than the total body weight. Visceral fat, surrounding the internal organs, is extremely harmful since it produces inflammatory substances that can lead to insulin resistance. A high amount of visceral fat can increase your risk of diabetes even if you have a lean structure.
Lack of exercise: You don’t need to be overweight. Lack of physical activity can always elevate your risk of getting diabetes. A regular exercise routine boosts insulin sensitivity and helps your body utilise glucose more efficiently.
Unhealthy diet: An unhealthy diet, which contains more refined carbohydrates and sugary foods, can lead to spikes in sugar levels and, in the long run, insulin resistance. Even if you are thin, a poor diet can add to your risk of diabetes.
Advancing age: As you become older, the body’s efficiency at processing glucose diminishes, raising your risk of insulin resistance. Hence, age is another risk factor for type 2 diabetes, irrespective of your body weight.
Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes is often seen when blood sugar levels rise in women during pregnancy, even if they didn’t have diabetes before. Almost 50% of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life, even if they are not overweight.

Look out for these early warning signs, even if you are not overweight

Frequent urination: You might have to take frequent pee breaks, more so at night, as the body gets rid of the surplus glucose through urine.
Feeling thirsty always: You might feel the need to drink water constantly without being satisfied, as the body tries to deal with dehydration caused by high blood sugar levels.
Unexplained weight loss: If you lose weight without any effort, it could indicate that the body is breaking down muscle and fat for energy, as it is unable to use glucose efficiently.
Always feeling tired: Constant fatigue or energy loss, even after resting, could be the fallout of your body’s inability to convert glucose into energy effectively.
Blurred vision: Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to swelling in the lenses of your eyes, causing temporary changes in vision.
Wounds/infections healing slowly: If you have high blood sugar, the body’s ability to heal and ward off infections can be affected, and cuts or bruises could take longer to heal.
It should be remembered that diabetes can present without any symptoms, and hence, screening is necessary.