Incidence

• Type 2 diabetes was formerly referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but this term is no longer accurate as the incidence of this type of diabetes has increased in children over the past 20 years.
  
  

Detection

• Type 2 diabetes in children can often go undiagnosed because of the lack of symptoms and because blood tests to detect the disease are still uncommon for children.
  
  

Race/Ethnicity

• African American and Latino children are more likely to be obese and American Indian children have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than Caucasian children.
  
  

Adulthood

• Adolescents who are overweight are also likely to be overweight or obese as adults. This increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes with age.
  
  

Prevention

• Physical activity and a healthy diet reduce both the risk of becoming overweight and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, engaging in those preventive measures is more effective than medication alone, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program study.