The Whitehall II study looked at over 10,000 civil servants and examined their health related to socio-economic status, with a focus on cardiovascular disease and mortality, with subsequent follow up studies. Over 15-years, work stressors doubled the risk of developing type 2 diabetes with work stress viewed as an independent risk factor. The study controlled for obesity and other unhealthy behaviors controlled for (Heraclides, Chandola, Witte, & Brunner, 2009). The Hoorn study (n=2262) found those who experienced significant life event(s) in the past 5 years increased T2DM risk by 1.6 compared to those not experiencing any life events.

The Hoorn Study (De Vegt, et al., 1999) was analysed to test whether chronic stress was associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes by Mooy et al (2000). They found that persons who had experienced significant life events during the past five years had a 1.6-fold increased risk to have type 2 diabetes compared to those who had not experienced life events. This study also controlled for waist-hip ratio, which was only a minor reduction in odds to 1.5, suggesting that increased visceral fact was not the main contributor to developing T2DM related to stress (Mooy, De Vries, Grootenhuis, Bouter, & Heine, 2000).