Type II Diabetes occurs when the body's cells are not able to take in energy from glucose. This inability of the cells to take up energy is called "insulin resistance". You may also hear it referred to as "impaired glucose tolerance".

After a meal, our digestive tract turns food into something usable by the cells for energy--either glucose (a sugar) or fat. The glucose and fat are released into the bloodstream for efficient delivery to the cells throughout the body. This raises the blood sugar level. (The blood lipid level is also raised, but we will not discuss lipids in this article.)

When the pancreas senses a rise in the blood sugar level, it releases insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin is designed to open up the cells so that they can uptake the glucose. Think of insulin as a key to the cells. When this insulin key opens the cells, energy can flow into them. When all is working properly with this process, glucose is taken into the cells from the bloodstream and blood sugar levels fall back to normal.

Cells, however, can become resistant to insulin, meaning that the insulin doesn't have the normal effect on the cells. It's as if the cells don't recognize the key anymore. When this happens, glucose isn’t easily delivered to the cells. The pancreas, detecting that the blood sugar levels are not going down, will pump out even more insulin.

The pancreas is usually able to do this job quite well. Over time, though, the cells can become more resistant, and the pancreas can become overburdened. When this occurs, it becomes impossible for the body to get enough blood sugar out of the blood and into the cells, and the crucial threshold for Diabetes is passed.

When you're tested for insulin resistance, the doctors are looking for a certain range. If your fasting blood glucose is under 100 mg/dL, then it is not likely that you are insulin resistant. If you are between 100-125 mg/DL, then you are classified as pre-diabetic. When that 100 mg/DL threshhold is passed, it's time to take your health very seriously and find a program that will help you reverse pre-diabetes. If not, you'll eventually find your blood sugar readings going over 125 mg/dL, which is the tipping point for Type II Diabetes.

Now that you know what insulin resistance is, it’s important to know whether you are at risk for getting it. You can “see” one symptom, while the others need to be checked by a doctor. If you do see this one symptom, it’s imperative that you do get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.

And what is this symptom that you can see? Just look down at your stomach. Yes, the number one thing to look for with diabetes is whether or not you are overweight. Obesity is highly correlated with diabetes. You should be especially concerned if the fat is concentrated in your midsection, as this is a prime indicator that your sugar metabolism is out of whack. (Of course, it is also possible to be diabetic without being overweight, though it is far more rare.)