Of all the diseases linked to unhealthy weight, Type II (adult onset, non-insulin dependent) diabetes is the most strongly associated. Medical researchers estimate that between 88 to 97 percent of the cases of Type II diabetes that are diagnosed in overweight patients are associated with their obesity. Further, the risk increases with degree of overweight. There is a 2-fold increased risk in people who are mildly overweight, a 5-fold increased risk in those who are moderately overweight and a 10-fold increased risk in those who are severely obese. These people have "Insulin Resistant State" and all the features of the "Metabolic Syndrome "-- obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia (abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides), and hypertension (high blood pressure). However, while obesity increases the odds of a person developing type II diabetes, there is also widespread scientific consensus that weight reduction can lead to major health improvement for those with the disease. For a significant number of patients who maintained a 10 to 20 percent loss of initial body weight for three years, the risk reduction for the effects of Type II diabetes was as high as 40 to 60 percent.