After publishing a blog post in November with several colleagues about how PepsiCo is doing its part to help people lead well-balanced lives and combat diabetes, I received a comment from a reader. The question was about whether the sugar content found in many soda and fruit drinks is a major contributor to the increased number of diabetes cases. This is a good question. This is a topic I am personally very passionate about. I hope that sharing just a little about my background will help you understand how my views on how the increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes have been influenced.  I was a practicing behavioral medicine professional and a diabetes educator at the Joslin Clinic/Joslin Diabetes Center for 30 years. Working with patients and clinical research colleagues at Joslin and Harvard made it clear that there are many factors that influence the development... Read more

Diabetes is a serious disease affecting over 27 million Americans. If the current projections continue, that number could triple by 2050, according to CDC scientists. Diabetes occurs when a person’s insulin production either shuts down (type 1 diabetes) or insulin and the body’s cells no longer work together as efficiently as they should (type 2 diabetes).  In both cases the result is that glucose, the fuel that the body uses to supply cells with energy, can not enter the cells. This leads to excess glucose in the blood, causing the condition known as high blood sugar.   There is a third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, which can develop during pregnancy. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin to help balance their blood sugars.  People with type 2 diabetes can often balance their blood sugars adequately with oral medicines.  Both forms of diabetes require a healthy diet and... Read more