There also must be enough “locks” for the keys to open the door. This is why insulin resistance causes such problems. The cells that produce insulin as well as the insulin receptors on each cell begin to decrease in function. Healthy people have about 200,000 insulin receptors on their cells. Diabetics not only produce less insulin, but have about 2,000 insulin receptors (1% of what healthy people have). This means that sugar has no way to enter the cell and help the body make energy. This also means that sugar is stuck on the outside of the cell, keeping blood glucose levels constantly elevated.