Obesity is a major predisposing factor for future Type 2 diabetes because it is often associated with insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance. Insulin resistance has been suggested as the common link for other aspects of the cardiac dysmetabolic syndrome that includes hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and macrovascular arterial disease. There are racial disparities in the prevalence of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes: Compared with non-Hispanic Caucasians, African American women have almost twice the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes.