Diabesity is a term used to describe the combined adverse health effects of obesity and diabetes mellitus. The worldwide dual epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes is an important public health issue and socio-economic burden. Projections estimate a sixfold increase in the number of adults with obesity in 40 years and an increase in the number of individuals with diabetes to 642 million by 2040. Increased adiposity is the strongest risk factor for developing diabetes.

Due to the strong association of obesity and diabetes, the term “diabesity” was coined, suggesting a causal pathophysiological link between both phenomena. However, while obesity is considered the main risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes in some people, it does not directly cause type 2 diabetes.

Between 80 and 90% of individuals with T2DM are overweight or obese.
Some evidence indicates that an individual with obesity is approximately 10 times more likely to
develop type 2 diabetes than someone with a moderate body weight.
Obesity also causes diabetes to worsen faster.

Unlike with Type 2 diabetes, the majority of people with Type 1 diabetes aren’t obese. But, there’s an association between obesity and the onset of Type 1 diabetes. Weight gain lowers the age at which a diagnosis is made. This is called “the accelerator hypothesis” (caused by insulin resistance). It states that weight gain speeds up the onset of diabetes in people who are already genetically predisposed to the condition.