What is the difference between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 (once called “juvenile onset diabetes”) is caused by an autoimmune disorder which kills the pancreas. This is the simpler form of diabetes to understand. We need insulin to process sugar into energy. Without it, we’d die. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is damaged and eventually destroyed, so the only treatment is to inject insulin artificially to make up for what the pancreas is failing to produce. Type 2 (once called “adult onset diabetes”) is initially caused by a condition called “insulin resistance”. The pancreas functions normally, and produces normal amounts of insulin, but other chemical reactions interfere with the ability to use this insulin properly. Insulin resistance is more complex than the simple lack of insulin that characterizes type 1 diabetes. Obesity makes insulin resistance worse, and exercise is very helpful in reducing it. At least in milder forms, type 2 diabetes can be treated most effectively just by keeping one’s weight in control, and getting plent
