While obtaining a client's health history, which factor would the nurse identify as predisposing the client to type 2 diabetes?

• A. Having diabetes insipidus
• B. Eating low-cholesterol foods
• C. Being 20 pounds (9kg) overweight
• D. Drinking a daily alcoholic beverage

Answer: (C)

Excess body weight, especially around the abdomen, drives insulin resistance, which is central to type 2 diabetes. When fat tissue reduces the body's sensitivity to insulin, glucose stays higher in the blood, and the pancreas must work harder to compensate. Over time this can lead to impaired glucose regulation and diabetes. Being 20 pounds overweight is a clear predisposing factor because it directly increases insulin resistance and metabolic stress.

Diabetes insipidus is a water-balance disorder that doesn’t involve insulin or glucose metabolism, so it doesn’t predispose to type 2 diabetes. Eating low-cholesterol foods isn’t itself a diabetes risk factor; risk is more closely tied to overall body weight and activity. Daily alcohol use can affect glucose control and liver metabolism, but the strongest and most direct predictor among these options is overweight.