This is interesting and something I can relate too. Obviously I cannot prove that too much sitting caused me to become diabetic, however, that was the only thing that changed for me. When I was diagnosed my diet hadn’t changed, my blood pressure was still good as was my cholesterol, only difference was that I changed jobs and went from being fairly active to almost sedentary so there might be some truth in this.
I totally agree, it’s quite upsetting when you read and hear such negative comments about being lazy and overweight as a cause for diabetes, I wasn’t and am not lazy but my job made me sedentary for a large part of my working day. Thankfully I have just taken on a new role which will enable me to be more active plus I now do more exercise since diagnoses than before. I would dearly love to not be diabetic, but I am, however I am now better informed about health and exercise and I am fitter, healthier and lighter as a result. We may not be able to make changes to our jobs and work places but we can make changes to our diet and lifestyle to achieve control of our futures.This I can also relate to. My GP reckoned having to work from home afternoons, evenings and weekends (plus office working in the mornings) all in front of a pc (sitting for up to 10 hours a day to earn a crust, although I tried to break up the time, even if just to run down stairs to make a cuppa or go outside for a few minutes), together with genetic links, was most likely the cause as, like @jayney27, my cholesterol and bp were fine. Perhaps those who yell "it's your fault you have T2, you obviously laze around on a couch watching tv all day" should instead think about how the workplace nowadays has changed out of all recognition to that of, say 50 years ago. Or rather how the computer has had such a huge effect on health.