Type 2 diabetes, a chronic lifelong condition marked by hyperglycemia, can
often be controlled with diet alone or in combination with physical activity
and medication. Associated with a hereditary predisposition, type 2 diabetes
has become epidemic and is now being diagnosed at an earlier age of onset
(American Diabetes Association [ADA], 2002). Patients who perceive heredity as a
primary contributor of their own development of diabetes have been found to have
poorer glycemic control (White, Smith, & O’Dowd, 2005).