A new NTNU study finds that people with a high genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes are developing the disease much more often now than they did in the 1980s — and the researchers link the rise to today’s environment of easy-access calories and sedentary leisure.
What the study did
• Analyzed data from over 86,000 participants with nearly 200,000 measurements from the HUNT Study (Trøndelag Health Study, running since 1984).
• Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology by PhD fellow Vera Vik Bjarkø and colleagues.
What they found
• The gap in type 2 diabetes prevalence between people with high versus low genetic risk widened from the 1980s to the 2010s.
• For people with low genetic risk, prevalence stayed low throughout the period.
Why this matters
• Researchers suggest modern “temptations” — abundant cheap snacks, sweets available any day (not just weekends), plus more sedentary activities like multiple TV channels, phones, and tablets — amplify genetic vulnerability.
• In other words, people with high genetic risk appear especially susceptible in a society that encourages unhealthy eating and inactivity, while those with low genetic risk seem to have protective factors that buffer these exposures.