The risk factors for prediabetes are similar to those for type 2 diabetes. Most people who get type 2 diabetes had prediabetes first. Risk factors include:

• Being overweight.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Family history. If you have a parent, brother, or sister who has type 2 diabetes, you have a greater chance of getting the disease.
• Age. The risk for getting prediabetes and type 2 diabetes increases with age. But the number of children with type 2 diabetes is increasing. Usually, children who get type 2 diabetes have a family history of the disease, are overweight, and aren't physically active.
• Race and ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at higher risk than whites for type 2 diabetes.
• History of gestational diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have had a baby that weighed more than 9 lb (4 kg) at birth are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Low birth weight. People who weighed less than 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) at birth are more likely to get type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other health problems that put you at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a problem in which a woman's hormones are out of balance.
• Metabolic syndrome. This is a group of health problems that includes having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and too much fat around the waist.