Some women are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to a syndrome that often goes undiagnosed: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, affects between six and ten percent of women who are of childbearing age. One symptom of PCOS is the weight gain over commonly, with the weight carried around the abdomen. Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women with PCOS involves, in part, improving insulin sensitivity.