Obesity and Diabetes: Growing Epidemics

The link between obesity and diabetes is incontrovertible, with 90 percent of type 2 diabetics being overweight or obese. More than nine percent of the American population — over 30 million people — have been diagnosed with diabetes, and that number is expected to increase by 54 percent by 2030. When pre-diabetics are counted, the number soars to over 100 million people.

Weight loss and lifestyle change are critical to reducing and reversing type 2 diabetes; multiple studies and reviews support the use of meal replacements and a medically-supervised Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) program as safe and effective for patients with obesity and diabetes.