In living things, everything is controlled at the molecular level. Modern research continues to study the molecular workings of Type 2 diabetes in an attempt to learn the nuts and bolts of what is going on. While we usually associate obesity with the development of this form of diabetes, some normal weight individuals have received the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes as well. So, what is the complex mechanism actually responsible for Type 2 diabetes? Researchers at the IDF Centre of Education in Chennai, India, and Emory University in Atlanta, USA, are working on this particular question and beginning to find some answers. Inflammation is known to be present in Type 2 diabetes, and the condition is often associated with being overweight or obese. Whether inflammation is associated with obesity is unclear. In a study reported on in the journal Endocrinology Practice in July 2015, researchers looked at inflammatory molecules and weight in young people diagnosed with this form of diabetes. The study included... 100 normal-weight people with normal blood sugar levels, 50 obese people with normal blood sugar levels, normal-weight people with Type 2 diabetes, and obese people with diabetes. It was found... the non-obese participants with normal blood sugar levels had the highest levels of adiponectin, a protein that tends to be low in obese individuals and Type 2 diabetics. It is thought to be involved in insulin sensitivity. in obese individuals high levels of adiponectin was associated with a 41 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes. for non-obese individuals, high levels of adiponectin were associated with a 33 percent reduced risk. leptin, a molecule that helps to regulate and energy balance by helping to decrease hunger, was found to be associated with both obese and non-obese people with diabetes. tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were also found to be highest in both obese and non-obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes. As medical science learns more about what causes Type 2 diabetes, we will be better able to prevent and control it. Different genes for different levels of molecules involved in diabetes are likely to be found. Some day genetic testing might be able to predict who will be at risk. Until then, diet and lifestyle are the things we know to help prevent this form of diabetes and keep blood sugar levels and weight normal. So fill up on fruits and vegetables and go for a walk...