Yes, Black people are more likely to get type 2 diabetes.

The increased risk is because of something called social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are all the non-medical parts of your life that affect your health, like where you live and how much money you make.

Black people are more likely to:

  • Live in poverty
  • Have less access to education
  • Live in areas with more pollution
  • Have limited access to healthcare
  • Have limited access to healthy foods
  • Be stressed most of the time

These things all increase your risk of getting diabetes. They also increase your risk of getting conditions like obesity and high blood pressure. Both of these also increase your risk of getting diabetes.

Diabetes also runs in the family. It runs in the family no matter what race you are.

There are other things that also increase your risk of getting diabetes. If you manage these other risks, your chances of getting diabetes can stay low.

To lower your risk, you can:

  • Be a healthy weight – If you’re overweight or obese, lose weight.
  • Exercise for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes each week – This can be broken out however you’d like. For example, you could exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days each week. Or you could do 1 hour, 3 days each week. Whatever works best for you.
  • Eat a healthy diet – Reduce the number of calories you eat each day. This can also help you lose weight.
  • People at very high risk should discuss medication to prevent diabetes with their doctor.

 

Your diabetes risk can be higher if you’re Black, but diet and exercise can help keep you on track.