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Another theory points to adi- pose (fatty) tissue hiding deep within your central torso, near your organs. This is also called visceral fat. You might have heard some people refer to such fat as their “spare tire.” Measuring this “waist- line fat” is another means of assess- ing risk. Why? Visceral fat churns out more by-products than other fat cells, including free fatty acids. Researchers think these acids and other by-products harmfully affect surrounding cells and organs— they’re sort of like garbage pollut- ing your body’s environment. Could they also cause insulin resistance? Some scientists suspect so, but at the moment they just don’t know for sure. According to the NDIC,

however, one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes (as well as heart disease) increases substantially for men with a waist measurement over forty inches and for women with a waist measurement over thirty-five inches. Whatever the physiological mechanism, we do know that excess weight kicks type 2 diabetes into action. As is the case with other forms of diabetes, genetics probably predispose a person to the disease. Unlike the other forms of diabetes, however, environmental factors such as lack of exer- cise and obesity usually set the disease in motion. Consequently, many cases of type 2 are preventable. Think about the following case:

Lyle and Leslie are fraternal twins . At fifteen years old, both stayed active and fit through sports. Both ate as well as their parents could

Not So Sweet: Diabetes / 31