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Diabetes is a serious illness. It can damage your heart, eyes, kidneys, feet and other parts of your body. To learn more, see our articles on diabetes.

If you have diabetes, your body can't control how much sugar is in your blood.

Here's what we know about the link between obesity and diabetes:^{1 2 3}

• If you're obese, you're twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes (also called non-insulin dependent diabetes) than people who aren't overweight.⁴ Most people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.⁵ See What is diabetes? to read about the different types of diabetes.
• Usually, your body makes a hormone called insulin to keep your sugar levels steady. Having too much fat on your body can keep insulin from working normally. So sugar builds up in your blood.
• The more you weigh and the longer you've been overweight, the more likely you are to get diabetes.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.