Hi. Today I'm going to discuss the new guidelines for nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes.[1] Although I'm going to discuss the findings in this consensus report, I urge you to read it, because more than any other guideline on nutrition, they really go through all of the different studies and discuss all of the conclusions.
We know that medical nutrition therapy is very effective at lowering A1c levels, so it can work as well as medication. But the problem is getting people to change their habits and then stick to a new way of eating long-term. I don't like to call this a diet. What we call it is a lifestyle change—a form of eating and a way of existing that is healthier than prior patterns.
It is recommended that adults living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have individualized diabetes-focused medical nutrition therapy, both at diagnosis and then as needed throughout life. People really do need refreshers, and it helps to encourage them to see their registered dietitian as they live their life with diabetes.
In general, it's recommended that the focused medical nutrition therapy be given by a registered dietitian who has expertise in this field, particularly for patients with diabetes.
COMMENTARY
Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes
Anne L. Peters, MD
DisclosuresJune 25, 2019
Hi. Today I'm going to discuss the new guidelines for nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes.[1] Although I'm going to discuss the findings in this consensus report, I urge you to read it, because more than any other guideline on nutrition, they really go through all of the different studies and discuss all of the conclusions.
We know that medical nutrition therapy is very effective at lowering A1c levels, so it can work as well as medication. But the problem is getting people to change their habits and then stick to a new way of eating long-term. I don't like to call this a diet. What we call it is a lifestyle change—a form of eating and a way of existing that is healthier than prior patterns.
It is recommended that adults living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have individualized diabetes-focused medical nutrition therapy, both at diagnosis and then as needed throughout life. People really do need refreshers, and it helps to encourage them to see their registered dietitian as they live their life with diabetes.
In general, it's recommended that the focused medical nutrition therapy be given by a registered dietitian who has expertise in this field, particularly for patients with diabetes.
Medscape Diabetes © 2019 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Anne L. Peters. Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes - Medscape - Jun 25, 2019.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author(s)
Anne L. Peters, MD
Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Keck School of Medicine; Director, University of Southern California Westside Center for Diabetes, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) on the advisory board for: Abbott Diabetes Care; Becton Dickinson; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Livongo; Medscape; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novo Nordisk; Omada Health; OptumHealth; sanofi; Zafgen
Received research support from: Dexcom; MannKind Corporation; Astra Zeneca
Serve(d) as a member of a speakers bureau for: Novo Nordisk