Do you have to be overweight to get type 2 diabetes, or can it happen to people at a normal weight?

You don't have to be overweight. Normal-weight type 2 diabetes is a real and recognized thing. Weight is one risk factor among several, and Diabetes Canada specifically lists age, family history, and ethnicity (people of African, Arab, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, or South Asian descent are at higher risk) as factors that raise risk independent of weight. Where fat is stored matters too. " References: https://obesitycanada.ca/healthcare-professionals/adult-clinical-practice-guideline/ https://guidelines.diabetes.ca/GuideLines/media/Docs/Quick%20Reference%20Guide/2024-CPG-Quick-Reference-Guide.pdf

Genuinely surprised by my own diagnosis for this exact reason, always been average weight my whole life. My doctor said family history basically explained most of it.