From the American Diabetes Organization website regarding a recent public survey:

"Myth: If you are overweight or obese, you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes.

According the survey, approximately three in five respondents (59%) did not know that this is a false statement. In addition, more than half (53%) of respondents did not know that risk for developing type 2 diabetes increases with age.

Fact: Being overweight is a risk factor for developing this disease, but other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age also play a role. Unfortunately, too many people disregard the other risk factors for diabetes and think that weight is the only risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight. "

How many people advance the "myth" (their word, not mine) that all fatties are headed straight to Type 2 Diabetes Hell as a major justification for higher premiums and all sorts of public alarmism?

Sparrow, thanks for the info. I hope other posters and people in general become aware of that info.

I have two friends and one close family member who always have been slender and exercise assiduously (one is an athlete) and one of them does physical labor and still goes on long walks on the week ends. They always have eaten very healthy diets but they did come down with diabetes 2.

I'm afraid that people get a sense of false security when they believe that overweight is the only factor in diabetes 2, so they won't get checked for it regularly.... diabetes if caught early enough can be effectively controlled at relatively moderate cost, but if caught after it has done its damage, then it will lead to disastrous medical problems.

So it's ignorance that causes health costs to rise, not extrenal physical appearance. How about giving Safeway employees, starting with the CEO, a basic health knowldege test. Let's make those who flunk it pay higher premiums!