Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity

Type 2 diabetes has been viewed as a disorder in middle-aged adults and the elderly. However, in the last few decades, type 2 diabetes has appeared in younger adults and adolescents. It is an emerging problem around the world, particularly among people of minority ethnicity. In North America, type 2 diabetes mellitus comprises 30% of all newly diagnosed diabetes in patients 10-20 years of age [1]. This epidemic is closely associated with the prevalence of obesity among youth of all backgrounds. There is a clear relationship between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, increased visceral adipose tissue, and obesity [2].