What Are Obesity and Diabetes?
Michelle Obama, in her capacity as First Lady, launched her “Let’s Move” campaign in 2010 in hopes of bringing awareness as well as solutions to the American silent epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes. The reality is that currently one in every three children in the United States is obese, or severely overweight.
Along with obesity is diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition connected to obesity and traditionally identified by high levels of glucose in the blood or high blood sugar. There are two types of diabetes:
- Type 1 is insulin-dependent diabetes also known as juvenile onset diabetes and related more to autoimmunity
- Type 2 diabetes is a non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes and is usually related to obesity
Both obesity and diabetes in children are currently on the rise in the United States.
What Your Doctor May Tell You About Obesity and Diabetes
Your child’s pediatrician will likely tell you your child’s obesity problem may be due to:
- Lack of physical activity
- Unhealthy eating patterns
- Possibly an endocrine disorder
- Genetic factors due to family history
Obesity is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI), which indicates how much body fat your child has. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so pediatricians usually suggest a calorie-based diet with more physical activity.
In certain situations, adolescents may be prescribed the medication Orlistat, which prevents the absorption of fat in the intestines; however, the long term risks are unknown. For severely obese adolescents, surgery may be an option if the child’s weight poses a greater health risk than the surgery.
In the case of Type 2 diabetes, the cells in your child’s body do not respond to insulin, and therefore, glucose levels build up and create a condition known as insulin resistance. In other words, the sugar levels get too high for the body to handle.
Your pediatrician will explain that your child ate too much sugar, got fat, developed Type 2 diabetes and long-term management is the only option. Metformin, a sugar-lowering medication, is often administered but there are nasty gastrointestinal side effects to deal with.
A hemoglobin A1C test is customary every three months to monitor sugar levels. On a daily basis, traditional finger prick tests for sugar levels or continuous glucose monitoring is the regular routine.
Your pediatrician will probably suggest a diabetic meal plan which consists of 50% to 55% carbohydrates, 30% to 35% fat and 10% to 15% protein and exercising every day.
Another Way to Think About Obesity and Diabetes
Researchers now know that the missing link to the traditional obesity and diabetes thinking is the hormone leptin. Leptin regulates blood sugar because it is responsible for controlling appetite and fat storage and for telling the liver what to do with its stored glucose.
The brain and liver are also extremely important in regulating blood sugar especially in Type 2 insulin resistant diabetes.
Traditionally, doctors believed that too much sugar led to obesity and diabetes, but today researchers have discovered a correlation between increased leptin levels, which are pro-inflammatory, and brain hyperactivity.
This means that the body may have an abnormal response to leptin which can lead to obesity. The only real way to establish proper leptin and insulin signaling is through diet.
A diet that is designed to incorporate good fats and control spiking levels of blood sugar by avoiding carbohydrates and sugar can modulate leptin and insulin levels. It is interesting to note that fructose is the leading cause of childhood obesity today.
If your child consumes a diet that is consistently high in sugar and grains, over time the body becomes “sensitized’ to insulin and requires more and more of it until the body becomes insulin and leptin-resistant and eventually diabetic.
Obesity and Diabetes Healing Checklist
Limit carbohydrates:
Richard K. Bernstein MD, author of The Diabetes Solution, recommends maintaining an optimal blood sugar level of 83 mg/dl, even after eating. Dr. Bernstein also writes that the optimal range of hemoglobin A1C is 4.2-4.6% (correlating to blood sugar of about 72-86 mg/dl), which is far below the 5.7% level that is considered normal. To achieve these blood-sugar levels, your child may need to limit consumption of carbohydrates with a low-carbohydrate diet such as the Paleo/primal diet or even the ketogenic diet. We recommend working with a healthcare practitioner to monitor your child’s progress in undertaking these more-restrictive diets.
Avoid food before bedtime:
A primary cause of night-waking is a drop in blood sugar. Food, especially carbohydrate-rich food, before bedtime can cause a drop in blood sugar in the middle of the night. Be sure that all meals include plenty of fat, fiber and protein.
Increase physical activity:
Have your child do sports or physical exercise daily and limit the amount of television and computer time each day.
Eat dinner together as a family:
Eating as many meals as possible at home can reinforce healthy eating habits. Children pay attention to what you as a parent do on a consistent basis, so be sure to model how enjoyable it is to eat healthy food.
Make sure your child gets enough sleep:
Insufficient sleep and sleep that is not in sync with the body’s circadian rhythm can cause stress on the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands not only respond to stress by producing adrenaline, but the cortisol produced by them also controls the body’s circadian rhythm.
Many studies have shown that high levels of cortisol lead to excess weight gain. Therefore, have your child go to bed on the earlier side.
You’ll know when you’ve hit your child’s bedtime sweet spot when they wake up full of energy in the morning, usually between 5:30am and 6:30am.
Normalize serotonin levels:
Low levels of serotonin can lead to hunger and sweet cravings as well as sleep issues. Have your practitioner test levels of your child’s neurotransmitter serotonin.
Optimize your child’s thyroid levels:
Low thyroid activity is typically linked to excess weight gain. Have your child work with a functional medicine doctor or naturopath who can test and optimize thyroid levels.
Test leptin levels:
A key to understanding your child’s excess weight may be leptin levels. Have your child work with a functional-medicine doctor or naturopath who can test and optimize leptin levels.
Try hypnotherapy:
Hypnotherapy can help with over-indulgence, comfort food and emotional eating.
Still Looking for Answers?
Visit the Epidemic Answers Practitioner Directory to find a practitioner near you.
Join us inside our online membership community for parents, Healing Together, where you’ll find even more healing resources, expert guidance, and a community to support you every step of your child’s healing journey.
Sources & References
Accurso, A., et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Apr 8:5:9.
Acuña-Catalán, D., et al. Ketogenic diet administration later in life improves memory by modifying the synaptic cortical proteome via the PKA signaling pathway in aging mice. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Jun 18;5(6):101593.
Adebayo, O., et al. The changing face of diabetes in America. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2014;32(2):319-27.
Aggarwal, B.B., et al. Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer. Biochem Pharmacol. 2006 May 14;71(10):1397-421.
Ai, Y., et al. The relationship between diabetes mellitus and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pediatr. 2022 Sep 29:10:936813.
Allen, B.G., et al. Ketogenic diets as an adjuvant cancer therapy: History and potential mechanism. Redox Biol. 2014:2:963-70.
Anand, P., et al. Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes. Pharm Res. 2008 Sep;25(9):2097-116.
Aucoin, M., et al. Generalized anxiety disorder and hypoglycemia symptoms improved with diet modification. Case Rep Psychiatry. 2016;2016.
Bădescu, S.V., et al. The association between Diabetes mellitus and Depression. J Med Life. 2016 Apr-Jun; 9(2): 120–125.
Bahr, L.S., et al. Ketogenic diet and fasting diet as Nutritional Approaches in Multiple Sclerosis (NAMS): protocol of a randomized controlled study. Trials. 2020 Jan 2;21(1):3.
Banerjee, S., et al. Ayurveda in changing scenario of diabetes management for developing safe and effective treatment choices for the future. J Complement Integr Med. 2015.
Basic, M., et al. Obesity: genome and environment interactions. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2012;63(3):395-405.
Bernstein, R.K. Blood glucose self-monitoring by diabetic patients: refinements of procedural technique. Diabetes Care. 1979 Mar-Apr;2(2):233-6.
Bernstein, R.K. Virtually continuous euglycemia for 5 yr in a labile juvenile-onset diabetic patient under noninvasive closed-loop control. Diabetes Care. 1980 Jan-Feb;3(1):140-3.
Bipartisan Policy Center. Lots to lose how America’s health and obesity crisis threatens our economic future. Washington, D.C.: Bipartisan Policy Center,; 2012.
Boison, D. New insights into the mechanisms of the ketogenic diet. Curr Opin Neurol. 2017 Apr;30(2):187-192.
Bolin K, Cawley JH. The economics of obesity. 1st ed. Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier JAI; 2007. xxiii, 364 p.p.
Bostock, E.C.S., et al. The Current Status of the Ketogenic Diet in Psychiatry. Front Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 20:8:43.
Bradford, B.L., et al. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Type 2 Diabetes. Science. 2005 Jan 21;307(5708):384-7.
Bradley, R., et al. Algorithm for complementary and alternative medicine practice and research in type 2 diabetes. J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):159-75.
Brenton, J.N., et al. Phase II study of ketogenic diets in relapsing multiple sclerosis: safety, tolerability and potential clinical benefits. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;93(6):637-644.
Brenton, J.N., et al. Pilot study of a ketogenic diet in relapsing-remitting MS. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2019 Apr 12;6(4):e565.
Carlson, J.A., et al. Dietary-related and physical activity-related predictors of obesity in children: a 2-year prospective study. Child Obes. 2012;8(2):110-5.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All About Your A1C.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Tests.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States.
Cheng, N., et al. Metabolic Dysfunction Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder and Potential Treatment Approaches. Front Mol Neurosci. 2017 Feb 21:10:34.
Choquet, H., et al. Genomic insights into early-onset obesity. Genome Med. 2010;2(6):36.
Classen, J.B. Review of evidence that epidemics of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes/metabolic syndrome are polar opposite responses to iatrogenic inflammation. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2012;8(6):413-8.
Coller, H.A. Is cancer a metabolic disease? Am J Pathol. 2014 Jan;184(1):4-17.
Cortese, S., et al. The Association between ADHD and Obesity: Intriguing, Progressively More Investigated, but Still Puzzling. Brain Sci. 2019 Sep 27;9(10):256.
Cortese, S., et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, iron deficiency, and obesity: is there a link? Postgrad Med. 2014;126(4):155-70.
Cui, J., et al. Butyrate-Producing Bacteria and Insulin Homeostasis: The Microbiome and Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (MILES). Diabetes. 2022 Nov 1;71(11):2438-2446.
Danan, K., et al. The Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Mental Illness: A Retrospective Analysis of 31 Inpatients. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 6:13:951376.
deCampo, D.M., et al. Ketogenic dietary therapies for epilepsy and beyond. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2019 Jul;22(4):264-268.
de la Rubia Orti, J.E., et al. Can Ketogenic Diet Improve Alzheimer’s Disease? Association With Anxiety, Depression, and Glutamate System. Front Nutr. 2021 Oct 27:8:744398.
de la Rubia Orti, J.E., et al. Exploring the impact of ketogenic diet on multiple sclerosis: obesity, anxiety, depression, and the glutamate system. Front Nutr. 2023 Aug 25:10:1227431.
Desai, J.R., et al. Diabetes and asthma case identification, validation, and representativeness when using electronic health data to construct registries for comparative effectiveness and epidemiologic research. Med Care. 2012;50 Suppl:S30-5.
Dietch, D.M., et al. Efficacy of low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets in treating mood and anxiety disorders: systematic review and implications for clinical practice. BJPsych Open. 2023 Apr 17;9(3):e70.
Douglas, B.L., et al. Washington Business Group on Health. Obesity an overview of an American epidemic. Washington, D.C.: Washington Business Group on Health,; 2002.
Duan, W., et al. Hyperglycemia, a neglected factor during cancer progression. Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:461917.
Dyńka, D., et al. The Role of Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases. Nutrients. 2022 Nov 24;14(23):5003.
Feinman, R.K., et al. Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management: critical review and evidence base. Nutrition. 2015 Jan;31(1):1-13.
Garcia-Argibay, M., et al. The association between type 2 diabetes and attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and population-based sibling study. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Apr:147:105076.
Giovannucci, E., et al. Diabetes and cancer: a consensus report. Diabetes Care. 2010 Jul;33(7):1674-85.
Gough, S., et al. Neuroprotection by the Ketogenic Diet: Evidence and Controversies. Front Nutr. 2021 Nov 23:8:782657.
Grammes, J., et al. Fear of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes: The role of interoceptive accuracy and prior episodes of hypoglycemia. J Psychosom Res. 2018;105:58-63.
Grochowska, K., et al. The Effect of the Ketogenic Diet on the Therapy of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Its Impact on Improving Cognitive Functions. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2022 May 30;12(2):100-106.
Guo, D., et al. Association of maternal diabetes with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring: A meta-analysis and review. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020 Jul:165:108269.
Han, H., et al. Gut Microbiota and Type 1 Diabetes. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 27;19(4):995.
Hao, J., et al. Mitochondrial nutrients improve immune dysfunction in the type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats. J Cell Mol Med. 2009 Apr;13(4):701-11.
He, C., et al. Targeting gut microbiota as a possible therapy for diabetes. Nutr Res. 2015.
Hinzmann, R., et al. What do we need beyond hemoglobin A1c to get the complete picture of glycemia in people with diabetes? Int J Med Sci. 2012;9(8):665-81.
Irish, A.K., et al. Randomized control trial evaluation of a modified Paleolithic dietary intervention in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a pilot study. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2017 Jan 4;7:1-18.
Jiang, Z., et al. Effects of Ketogenic Diet on Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Aging Dis. 2022 Jul 11;13(4):1146-1165.
Johnson, R.J., et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: is it time to reappraise the role of sugar consumption? Postgrad Med. 2011 Sep;123(5):39-49.
Kamba, A., et al. Association between higher serum cortisol levels and decreased insulin secretion in a general population. PLOS ONE. 2016;11(11):e0166077.
Kapoor, D., et al. Emerging Role of the Ketogenic Dietary Therapies beyond Epilepsy in Child Neurology. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2021 Jul-Aug;24(4):470-480.
Karkafi, R.E., et al. Ketogenic Diet and Inflammation: Implications for Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2023:1411:537-554.
Kogut, S.J., et al. Evaluation of a program to improve diabetes care through intensified care management activities and diabetes medication copayment reduction. J Manag Care Pharm. 2012;18(4):297-310.
Kong., A.P, et al. Diabetes and its comorbidities–where East meets West. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2013;9(9):537-47.
Labbé, D.P., et al. Role of diet in prostate cancer: the epigenetic link. Oncogene. 2015 Sep 3;34(36):4683-91.
Laron, Z. Interplay between heredity and environment in the recent explosion of type 1 childhood diabetes mellitus. Am J Med Genet. 2002;115(1):4-7.
Lee, C., et al. Reduced levels of IGF-I mediate differential protection of normal and cancer cells in response to fasting and improve chemotherapeutic index. Cancer Res. 2010 Feb 15;70(4):1564-72.
Lee, R.W.Y., et al. A modified ketogenic gluten-free diet with MCT improves behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder. Physiol Behav. 2018 May 1:188:205-211.
Lefevre, F., et al. Ketogenic diet for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children: A systematic review of efficacy. Pediatrics. 2000 Apr;105(4):E46.
Lennerz, B.S., et al. Management of Type 1 Diabetes With a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet.
Pediatrics. 2018 Jun;141(6):e20173349.
Levi, J., et al. F as in fat how obesity threatens America’s future : 2012. Washington, D.C.: Trust for America’s Health; 2012.
Li, Q., et al. A Ketogenic Diet and the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Pediatr. 2021 May 11:9:650624.
Liu, H., et al. Refined fructose and cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2011 Sep;15(9):1049-59.
Liu, S., et al. Poor glycaemic control is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes: a population-based cohort study. Diabetologia. 2021 Apr;64(4):767-777.
Lorenzi, M., et al. High glucose induces DNA damage in cultured human endothelial cells. J Clin Invest. 1986 Jan;77(1):322-5.
Ly, N.P., et al. Gut microbiota, probiotics, and vitamin D: interrelated exposures influencing allergy, asthma, and obesity? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;127(5):1087-94; quiz 95-6.
Magrone, T., et al. Childhood obesity: immune response and nutritional approaches. Front Immunol. 2015;6:76.
Mazor-Aronovitch, A., et al. Dual diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Diabetes. 2021 Jun;22(4):649-655.
Mentzelou, M., et al. The Relationship of Ketogenic Diet with Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric Diseases: A Scoping Review from Basic Research to Clinical Practice. Nutrients. 2023 May 11;15(10):2270.
Mierau, S.B., et al. Metabolic interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurobiol Dis. 2019 Dec:132:104544.
Mu, C., et al. Metabolic Framework for the Improvement of Autism Spectrum Disorders by a Modified Ketogenic Diet: A Pilot Study. J Proteome Res. 2020 Jan 3;19(1):382-390.
Noland, R.C., et al. Carnitine insufficiency caused by aging and overnutrition compromises mitochondrial performance and metabolic control. J Biol Chem. 2009 Aug 21;284(34):22840-52.
Olivito, I., et al. Ketogenic diet ameliorates autism spectrum disorders-like behaviors via reduced inflammatory factors and microbiota remodeling in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mice. Exp Neurol. 2023 Aug:366:114432.
Onodera, Y., et al. Increased sugar uptake promotes oncogenesis via EPAC/RAP1 and O-GlcNAc pathways. J Clin Invest. 2014 Jan;124(1):367-84.
Operta, F.F., et al. The Ketogenic Diet for the Treatment of Mood Disorders in Comorbidity With Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Nov 24:11:578396.
Pacal, L., et al. Parameters of oxidative stress, DNA damage and DNA repair in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2011;117(4):222-30.
Pagoto, S.L., et al. Association between adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obesity in the US population. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009 Mar;17(3):539-44.
Pietrzak, D., et al. The Therapeutic Role of Ketogenic Diet in Neurological Disorders. Nutrients. 2022 May 6;14(9):1952.
Power, R.A., et al. Carnitine revisited: potential use as adjunctive treatment in diabetes. Diabetologia. 2007 Apr;50(4):824-32.
Pulgaron, E.R. Childhood obesity: a review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities. Clin Ther. 2013;35(1):A18-32.
Pulsifer, M.B., et al. Effects of ketogenic diet on development and behavior: preliminary report of a prospective study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2001 May;43(5):301-6.
Rector, R.S., et al. Mitochondrial dysfunction precedes insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis and contributes to the natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in an obese rodent model. J Hepatol. 2010 May;52(5):727-36.
Renteria, I., et al. [Factors affecting oxidative damage in obese children: an exploratory study]. Nutr Hosp. 2015;31(4):1499-503.
Robinette, L.M., et al. Fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with severity of inattention in a pediatric population with ADHD symptoms: the MADDY Study. Nutr Neurosci. 2023 Jun;26(6):572-581.
Rosa, J.S., et al. Altered inflammatory, oxidative, and metabolic responses to exercise in pediatric obesity and type 1 diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes. 2011;12(5):464-72.
Salzer, H.M. Relative hypoglycemia as a cause of neuropsychiatric illness. J Natl Med Assoc. 1966;58(1):12-17.
Sanchez, A., et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1973 Nov;26(11):1180-4.
Sanchez, M., et al. Childhood obesity: a role for gut microbiota? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(1):162-75. J Integr Complement Med. 2023 Feb;29(2):69-79.
Sanago, F., et al. Mind- and Body-Based Interventions Improve Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Integr Complement Med. 2023 Feb;29(2):69-79.
Schwalfenberg, G.K. The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo). 2017:2017:4179326.
Seyfried, T.N. Cancer as a metabolic disease. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Jan 27:7:7.
Seyfried, T.N. Cancer as a metabolic disease: implications for novel therapeutics. Carcinogenesis. 2014 Mar;35(3):515-27.
Seyfried, T.N., et al. Consideration of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy as a Complementary or Alternative Approach for Managing Breast Cancer. Front Nutr. 2020 Mar 11:7:21.
Seyfried, T.N., et al. Is the restricted ketogenic diet a viable alternative to the standard of care for managing malignant brain cancer? Epilepsy Res. 2012 Jul;100(3):310-26.
Seyfried, T.N., et al. Metabolic management of brain cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011 Jun;1807(6):577-94.
Shen, W., et al. Protective effects of R-alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine in MIN6 and isolated rat islet cells chronically exposed to oleic acid. J Cell Biochem. 2008 Jul 1;104(4):1232-43.
Shlomowitz, A., et al. Anxiety associated with self monitoring of capillary blood glucose. British Journal of Diabetes. 2014;14(2):60-63.
Smith, J., et al. Ketogenic diet restores aberrant cortical motor maps and excitation-to-inhibition imbalance in the BTBR mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Behav Brain Res. 2016 May 1:304:67-70.
Smith, K.J., et al. Association of diabetes with anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychosom Res. 2013;74(2):89-99.
Sreekumar, R., et al. Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction & diabetes. Indian J Med Res. 2007 Mar;125(3):399-410.
Stafstrom, C.E., et al. The ketogenic diet as a treatment paradigm for diverse neurological disorders. Front Pharmacol. 2012 Apr 9:3:59.
Tao, Y., et al. Ketogenic Diet: An Effective Treatment Approach for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2022 Nov 15;20(12):2303-2319.
Tidman, M.M., et al. Effects of an low carbohydrate/healthy fat/ketogenic diet on biomarkers of health and symptoms, anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study. Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2022 Apr;12(2):57-66.
Tinkum, K.L., et al. Fasting protects mice from lethal DNA damage by promoting small intestinal epithelial stem cell survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Dec 22;112(51):E7148-54.
Tuomi, T., et al. The many faces of diabetes: a disease with increasing heterogeneity. Lancet. 2014;383(9922):1084-94.
Vaarala, O. Is the origin of type 1 diabetes in the gut? Immunol Cell Biol. 2012;90(3):271-6.
Vaarala, O. Gut microbiota and type 1 diabetes. Rev Diabet Stud. 2012;9(4):251-9.
Vargas, D.D., et al. Effectiveness of nutritional interventions on behavioral symptomatology of autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review. Nutr Hosp. 2022 Dec 20;39(6):1378-1388.
Verberne, A.J.M., et al. Adrenaline: insights into its metabolic roles in hypoglycaemia and diabetes. Br J Pharmacol. 2016;173(9):1425-1437.
Witkowski, M., et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nat Med. 2023 Mar;29(3):710-718.
Xiang, A.H., et al. Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 Diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes During Pregnancy and Risk of ADHD in Offspring. Diabetes Care. 2018 Dec;41(12):2502-2508.
Xu, F., et al. Association of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with diabetes mellitus in US adults. J Diabetes. 2021 Apr;13(4):299-306.
Yuan, J., et al. Regular use of proton pump inhibitors and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studies. Gut. 28 Sep 2020.
Zheng, P., et al. Gut microbiome in type 1 diabetes: A comprehensive review. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2018 Oct;34(7):e3043.
Zhou, H., et al. Evaluating the Causal Role of Gut Microbiota in Type 1 Diabetes and Its Possible Pathogenic Mechanisms. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Mar 24:11:125.
Resources
Articles
Mayers, Dara. The nutrition advice given to most diabetics might be killing them. U.S. News Health & Medicine, July 2003.
Totty, Patrick. ADA’s Latest Low-Carb Stance Is Severely Flawed, Says Longtime Low-Carb Advocate Dr. Bernstein. Diabetes Health, 8 February 2008.
Books
Bernstein, Richard K. Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars. Little, Brown Spark, 2011.
Bolin, K., Cawley, J.H. The economics of obesity. 1st ed. Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier JAI; 2007.
Wahls, Terry. The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. Avery, 2020.
Wahls, Terry. The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions. Avery, 2017.
