Ace the 2025 AANP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP Exam – Your Path to Nurse Practitioner Stardom!

Type 2 diabetes is most commonly associated with obesity, making the group of obese adults the most representative population for this condition. The reasons for this connection primarily relate to the mechanisms of insulin resistance and the role of excess body fat, particularly visceral fat, in impairing glucose metabolism. Obesity can lead to an overproduction of insulin in an attempt to overcome insulin resistance, but eventually, the pancreas may struggle to maintain sufficient insulin levels, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels characteristic of Type 2 diabetes.

In contrast, other groups mentioned do not typically have a strong association with the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes. Infants and young children are more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition rather than a lifestyle-related one. Adults who are typically of normal weight may not carry sufficient risk factors for developing insulin resistance, while older adults with thyroid disorders might have a different metabolic impact, but their connection to Type 2 diabetes is not as strong as that seen with obesity. This makes the association with obese adults clear and substantiates why this group is most commonly linked to Type 2 diabetes.