While experts may not agree which diet is best for the treatment of diabetes and obesity, most agree that there’s no one-size-fits-all diet and that the optimal approach often involves a combination of lifestyle modifications, including diet, and medical therapies. Four distinguished clinicians and researchers, including Thomas Pieber, MD, analyzed four different diets and discussed…

During a virtual debate at this year’s Scientific Sessions, pediatric endocrinologist Belinda S. Lennerz, MD, PhD, demonstrated the benefits of carbohydrate restriction in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, while Carmel E. Smart, RD, PhD, argued that patients can achieve comparable glycemic control with less restrictive diets and less risk.

Alison Evert, MS, RDN, CDCES (left), and Maureen Chomko, RD, CDCES, addressed several nutrition controversies—from net carbs to fad diets to meal and snack frequency—during a mini-symposium on the first day of the 82nd Scientific Sessions.

The Monday afternoon session “The Wide-Ranging Field of Clinical Nutrition Research—From the Role of Nutrients to How We Eat” will highlight results from eight recent studies examining dietary and nutritional interventions in diabetes patients. Three of the presenters, including Stephan Martin, MD, and William S. Yancy Jr., MD, MHS, talked to ADAMeetingNews.org about their research.

Dietary choices are crucial for managing type 2 diabetes. Experts including Roy Taylor, MD, shared their perspectives on nutrition programs that have helped patients reduce or manage type 2 diabetes while also living healthier lives. These programs incorporate low-calorie diets, low-carb diets, and glycemic excursion minimization.

Proper nutrition can help regulate diabetes. Christopher Gardner, PhD, will discuss the advantages of consuming a plant-based, whole-food diet, along with the health and global benefits of switching from animal protein to plant-based protein. Other presenters will discuss portion size and calorie density, and how processed foods impact energy balance.

Maureen Chomko, RDN, CDCES, and Colleen Dawkins, FNP-C, RDN, CSOWM, will explain how dietitians and diabetes educators can help screen patients for their eligibility for these drugs, educate patients on how to take these medications, and help them understand cost implications.

Results from the PREVIEW study, which compared the benefits of two diet and two weight management programs, showed comparable rates of delay toward type 2 diabetes development in patients with prediabetes who had initially lost weight on a low-calorie diet, according to Ian MacDonald, BSc, PhD.