ELI5: What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes both mean your body has trouble with sugar, but they happen for different reasons.

Imagine your body is like a car, and sugar (glucose) is the fuel it needs to run. Insulin is like the key that unlocks the gas tank so the fuel can get into the engine (your cells).

• Type 1 diabetes is like your car being born without a key! Your body's immune system, which is supposed to fight off germs, mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells that make the insulin key. So, no key, no fuel can get into the engine, and your car sputters. People with Type 1 need to get insulin (their key) from a shot or pump every day.

• Type 2 diabetes is like your car's key getting rusty, or the lock on the gas tank getting sticky. Your body makes insulin (the key), but it's not working very well (rusty key) or your body's cells (the lock) are not responding to it properly (sticky lock). The fuel can't get in as easily. This often happens because of things like being overweight or not moving around enough. Sometimes, Type 2 can be managed with diet and exercise, but other times people need medicine to help the key work better or help the lock open easier.

• Type 1: No key (insulin) at all.
• Type 2: Key (insulin) doesn't work well, or the lock is sticky, so fuel (sugar) can't get in easily.