We ask people on the streets whether they think you can ‘catch’ diabetes.

Learn more: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-myths.html

Marko Šestan and colleagues show that the hormone insulin can boost the antiviral immune system. Upon viral infection, the immune system therefore induces insulin resistance in order to increase insulin production by the pancreas, which stimulates the antiviral immune response. In lean people this is not a problem, because the pancreas easily compensates for temporary insulin resistance. But in obese people, who usually already have insulin resistance, infection may overload the ability of the pancreas to compensate, resulting in diabetes mellitus type 2.