Certain factors can increase the risk that you will develop type 2 diabetes. They include these characteristics:You’re age 45 or older. About 85 percent of diabetes cases in the United States are among adults age 45 or older, with about 43 percent of all cases occurring in adults over age 65.You’re overweight or obese. Carrying extra weight increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Losing weight helps. In particular, shedding 5 to 7 percent of your body weight (that would be 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person) — can lower a person’s risk of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Weight loss may help if you already have type 2 diabetes, too. One study showed a high level of remission among overweight and obese participants with type 2 diabetes who’d lost a significant amount of weight through a low-calorie diet.You’re physically inactive. The motivation to exercise is invaluable when it comes to diabetes, as 150 minutes or more of exercise per week can help a person delay, prevent, or manage this health condition.The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says this is because exercise increases insulin sensitivity, so your muscle cells can more effectively use any available insulin to take up glucose during and after activity. Additionally, when your muscles contract during exercise, your cells can take up glucose and use it for energy, whether insulin is available or not.You have prediabetes. When insulin resistance causes your blood glucose level to be higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, this is prediabetes. More than 1 in 3 people in the United States — a staggering 88 million people — are thought to have prediabetes, and 84 percent do not know it. Losing weight and getting regular exercise are good ways for people in this stage of insulin resistance to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.You have a family history of type 2 diabetes. If the disease runs in your family, you are at a higher risk of getting it yourself. That is likely due to a combination of genetics and environment, such as shared eating habits.You’ve had gestational diabetes. Half of all women with gestational diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Ways to lower your risk include reaching a healthy body weight after delivery, as directed by your healthcare provider. Also, have your blood sugar tested by your provider 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born and then every one to three years to make sure your level is where it should be.