about 90% of people with type 2 diabetes have obesity or are overweight (BMI of at least 25).
30 percent of overweight people have the disease, and 85 percent of diabetics are overweight
Which is why I’d imagine weight to be the issue rather than diabetes—unless deaths are also several times higher for those with type 2.
Or more preciesly, I’d imagine inflammation associated with obesity to be the issue.