Newswise — America is facing a diabetes crisis. The CDC recently reported that 30 million people have diabetes with 90 percent living with Type 2 diabetes. Last year, the cost of treating Type 2 diabetes and related illnesses cost more than $350 billion and that number is expected to reach more than $600 billion in the next five years. In addition, 84 percent of healthcare costs in the U.S. are attributable to chronic diseases with Type 2 diabetes at the top of the list.
But if one-fifth of the 30 million Type 2 sufferers in the U.S. used dietary changes to reduce HbA1c levels by one percentage point they would not only reverse their diabetes, but the healthcare system could save at least $10 billion annually and outcomes would improve measureably. Imagine what could happen if half of the people reversed their diabetes.
Despite widespread evidence that nutrition can lead to healthier lives and that healthier lives significantly lower costs, many policymakers and stakeholders continue to advocate for the same inadequate solutions.
Experts attribute five major factors that have increased the prevalence and skyrocketing costs associated with Type 2 diabetes including a more sedentary lifestyle at home and work, healthcare bias toward medication, confusion about healthy food choices, low prioritization by policymakers and demographic challenges.
Despite the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, treatments exist that can dramatically improve health outcomes and significantly lower costs. Evidence shows that proper nutrition therapy and exercise can be effective in causing remission of Type 2 diabetes. A one percent decrease in HbA1c, an indicator of Type 2 diabetes, can be achieved through proper nutrition alone.
Championing nutrition-based strategies is one viable solution to addressing the diabetes issue. Controlling carbohydrates, for example, has been shown in scientifically rigorous studies to be effective at managing glycemic control and weight among prediabetic populations. Yet these approaches are largely missing from the broader conversation about diabetes.
This is a public health crisis, and policymakers and public health experts have little to lose and much to gain from abandoning a “one-size-fits-all” approach. The future of American public health costs and the tens of millions of Type 2 diabetes sufferers in the United States require more creative solutions. Many of these – like nutrition therapy – exist. It’s time to make the most of them.
Taking Action: Advocating for Nutrition Therapy and Low Carb
Policymakers should look to refresh the nation’s health policies as they relate to the growing prevalence, cost and impact of Type 2 diabetes. Immediate steps that can, and should be taken, include:
- The U.S. Dietary Guidelines should give nutrition recommendations to address this chronic disease as well as the general population instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition.
- A major public education campaign can educate consumers about nutrition therapies and healthy choices and help them avoid misleading marketing and health advice.
- Updating of diagnostic screening measures used by primary care clinicians, retail clinics and other primary care venues to diagnose pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
- Improvements in medical education to emphasize nutrition therapies.
- Inclusion of explicit nutrition therapy outcomes in alternative payment programs including The Medicare Shared Savings Program and others.
- Appointment of a blue-ribbon commission on nutrition therapy to modernize policies, regulations and food supply chain considerations.
# # #
The following blog post was taken from the Food & Nutrition Journal, “The Cost and Impact of Type 2 Diabetes: Policy Recommendations for Growing Public Health Epidemic” to be published on November 1. To access the complete report, please click here.
Editor’s Note: The study was commissioned by Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. but the company did not participate in the study design, data collection, analysis or manuscript preparation.
RSS