Final answer:
Individuals from African American, Native American, and Mexican American backgrounds have a higher incidence of diabetes compared to White individuals. Type 2 diabetes is the predominant form and often linked with lifestyle factors such as obesity and physical inactivity. Prevention includes a healthy diet, exercise, and maintaining a proper weight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The incidence of diabetes varies among different racial and ethnic groups. According to a report from the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation (2007), certain races, such as African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans, have a higher incidence of diabetes than white people. Risk factors, including obesity and lifestyle choices along with a family history of diabetes, contribute to the increased risk.
Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for approximately 95 percent of all cases, can develop due to insulin resistance and is highly influenced by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, inactivity, and the presence of pre-diabetes. These disparities are also evident in complications from diabetes, like ketoacidosis, which occurs more frequently among those of Hispanic and African-American descent who have type 2 diabetes.
The rise in obesity rates has led to a decrease in the age at which type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. This condition used to typically start after the age of 40 but now even children are being diagnosed due to the increase in obesity among younger populations. Prevention and management strategies include maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity, and consumption of a balanced diet low in refined carbohydrates.