More than 80 percent of all children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes are overweight, and about 40 percent are clinically obese. Indeed, researchers suspect that increases in obesity among young people is driving the new epidemic.

There has long been a statistical link between obesity and type 2 diabetes, but exactly why millions of overweight people develop type 2 diabetes has long been a medical mystery. Scientists have found that certain fat cells are metabolically active and secrete chemicals that raise inflammation levels in the body and contribute to increased fat in the liver, which is a risk factor for insulin resistance -- a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Other studies have suggested that the type of obesity -- or where you store your fat -- may make a difference as well. Those who store it around the middle (the so-called apple shape) as deep belly fat are at higher risk of developing diabetes. Some experts believe that high-carbohydrate, low-fiber diets are part of the problem. Finally, because exercise makes your body's muscle cells more sensitive to insulin, a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor. If your child rarely plays outside or exercises, then, he or she may be at greater risk of the disease.