Type 2 diabetes is often a combination of insulin resistance and the pancreas not producing enough insulin. Root causes are often related to a genetic link and a sedentary lifestyle but there is no one single formula that determines what causes it to manifest.
My personal belief is one can put it in remission with proper diet and exercise but it will always be there ready to come forth again.
Personally, I have been diabetic a long time and have controlled the disease with oral meds. As I have gotten older, it has becomew more difficult so I have stepped up my efforts to lose weight and changed my diet to be more plant based.
Interesting thing - I was diagnosed just was I was leaving the Army in the 90s. I had just come back from Kuwait and was underweight, very active; my blood sugars wre elevated during my ETS physical which eventually led to the diagnosis or I probably wouldn't have been aware.
I agree with many here, the standard American diet is awful. Most of the food available for purchase is processed garbage and you really have to make an effort to find things that aren't counter-productive.
Exercise is really imprortant but the single most improtant thing I have learned is you can't exercise your way out of a bad diet; at least not as you grow older. You need balance. Eating a diet rich in veggies; with few processed foods; avoiding bleached foods and high sugar content junk in combinattion with some regular exercise is the key.
I set a minimum step goal each day, have banned fast food and processed junk, one meal is a big garden salad and meat and dairy are in moderation. It has made a huge difference. Best of luck everyone!
