You must first understand that there are at least 3-4 different kinds of Diabetes with each presenting a different pattern of symptoms.
1. Diabetes Type 1 has both a genetic and possibly environmental factors that are involved.
Symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, loss of wight,fatigue(muscle wasting), inability to concentrate clearly. Those are some classic signs associated with this "Auto-Immune" Disease.
A blood test can confirm that these symptoms are of Type 1 Diabetes. The blood tests that you should have is a pre and post meal intake that will measure the current amount of Glucose. The second blood test is called a HgbA1C which will measure the amount of Glucose within a three month period of time as an estimation.
If you have Type 1 Diabetes, you will at the current time be Insulin Dependent.

2. In Type 2 Diabetes, there exists an inability of Insulin to attach themselves to your muscle receptors for energy, whereas in Type 1, the Insulin producing cells are destroyed by the Immune System within your Body. So, even-though the person's beta cells are able to produce Insulin, they are unable to utilized within the within the Body. Treatment is started with the loss of weight if the person is over weight, daily exercise, reduction of a high carbohydrate diet in favor of a balanced healthy one. Self-Responsibility should be encouraged for both types of Diabetes.
The usual treatment of choice is Metformin as well as the blood tests that are indicated for Type 1 Diabetes.
Things would be a lot simple, if the nomenclature were to change so that the word Diabetes would only refer to T1DM. There are political and economic reasons why the AMA and others are not interested in changing the word Diabetes to apply to only one kind.

3. Gestational Diabetes resulting in increased weight during pregnancy and resulting in overweight babies is one of the symptoms that again can be confirmed with the HgbA1C blood test and a pre as well as a post meal blood test.
If you are overweight during and after giving birth............this can result in eventual Diabetes to you as well as your child. It is more important to live a daily Lifestyle which includes exercise, the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits with the elimination of salt, and a elevated carbohydrate intake.