(HealthDay News) -- Type 2 diabetes occurs when people can't properly convert food to energy that the body's cells can use.
Food is broken down into a blood sugar called glucose. Then a pancreatic hormone called insulin is supposed to convert glucose to energy.
When this process doesn't work correctly, too much glucose builds up in the blood, and the individual cells become starved for energy. And over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious complications, such as heart and kidney disease, stroke or blindness.
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse mentions these potential risk factors for type 2 diabetes: