diabetes

• insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to be absorbed by cells in the body
• insulin is created in the pancreas - if there is too much glucose in the blood, the pancreas produces insulin to reduce the blood glucose level
• type 2 diabetes is a disorder where blood glucose levels stay too high because the pancreas either can't produce enough insulin or the body resists it
• causes of type 2 diabetes:

  • being overweight or obese
  • excessive sugar in the diet can lead to obesity which increases risk of type 2 diabetes, and is affecting more young people
• health problems associated with type 2 diabetes:

  • diabetes can cause long term health problems such as poor eyesight, limb numbness, kidney failure and cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease
  • people with diabetes can feel tired and thirsty
  • the body flushes out glucose by passing urine more often