Type 2 diabetes and obesity in adults

There are approximately 2.5 million people in the UK with diabetes; 85-95% of whom have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. As approximately 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, obesity is seen as a significant contributory factor in its development. This article aims to examine some of the physiological mechanisms by which overweight and obesity contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, and review some of the approaches to managing overweight and obesity in the person with established type 2 diabetes, including dietary management, the use of reduced carbohydrate diets on glycamic control, anti-diabetes and anti-obesity drugs both in use and in development, and bariatric surgery.