Excess weight is a known risk factor for diabetes. However, the latest study finds that where and how that fat is stored is just as important. The researchers identify and investigate a pivotal fat-controlling gene.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30 millionpeople in the United States have diabetes. That's almost 1 in 10 people.

This is no small issue and, as such, a great deal of research effort is spent trying to understand who is most likely to develop the condition, as well as why.

Certain risk factors for type 2 diabetes are already known. For instance, being 45 or older and having high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, or a family history of diabetes are all likely to raise a person's risk.

Arguably, the most well-known risk factor is being overweight or obese. But a new study shows that, although body fat certainly is a risk factor, the story is a little more convoluted.

The research was completed by scientists from the University of Oxford, MRC Harwell, King's College London — all of which are in the United Kingdom — the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, among others.