Diabetes and Ethnicity

A. Yes, there are several populations exhibiting a higher incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans. Why is this? Researchers think some African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans inherited a "thrifty gene" that long ago helped their ancestors store food energy better during times when food was plentiful, to survive during times when food was scarce. Now that "feast or famine" situations rarely occur for most people in the United States, the gene that was once helpful may now put these groups at a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes.