Is Sugar Intake Specifically Driving the Diabetes Epidemic?

Multiple factors, including overweight and obesity, are associated strongly with diabetes. Yet, in individuals and in population-based studies, the correlation is far from perfect: We see both thin diabetic patients and people with marked obesity but normal blood glucose levels. In addition, some countries have high rates of obesity but low prevalence of diabetes, and some have the reverse.

In a new study, researchers in California examined cross-sectional data from 175 countries. After controlling for the availability of food types, weight, age, income, and urbanization, the investigators found that the availability of sugar (and no other food) correlated strongly with prevalence of diabetes. The availability of calories from all types of f…