In recent years, a renewed view of type 2 diabetes has gained ground: beyond a glucose regulation problem, it's increasingly understood as a chronic low-grade inflammatory disease, with persistent activation of immunometabolic mechanisms affecting fat tissue, the liver, skeletal muscle, the pancreas and the vascular system.
The mechanism specialists point to starts with excess abdominal fat, which releases hormones and fatty acids capable of keeping the immune system activated for long periods. That constant activation makes cellular insulin signaling harder, feeding a cycle that reinforces insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.
The good news is that this process can be reversible if caught in time, especially in early stages like prediabetes: changes in diet, exercise and reducing abdominal fat can help reverse insulin resistance within weeks or months.