A recent article at CNN Science read, “The development of blockbuster type-2 diabetes and weight-loss drugs that mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, has shaken up the world of health care.”
“SGLT2 inhibitors, which include empagliflozin (the active ingredient in JARDIANCE), as a treatment option for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, with or without metformin.”
“One in 8 people in the world live with obesity — a figure that has more than doubled since 1990 — and the medication, which lowers blood sugar and curbs appetite, has the potential to usher in a new era for obesity treatment and related conditions such as type 2 diabetes.”
As a beneficiary of that research and the development of drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Metformin, manufactured insulin (“…using recombinant DNA technology, where the human insulin gene is inserted into bacteria (like E. coli) or yeast cells. These genetically modified microorganisms then ferment and produce human insulin, which is extracted, purified, and prepared for use in people with diabetes.”)
What caught my attention today was the phrase, “…people in the world live with obesity – a figure that has more than doubled since 1990.”
In 35 years, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes has DOUBLED???? THE HECK?!?!?!?! So, I started to DIG…
“To our knowledge, this study is the first global analysis of trends in both diabetes prevalence and treatment coverage that covers all countries. We reanalyzed and pooled hundreds of population-representative studies with measurements of glycemic biomarkers and data on diabetes treatment. We used a diabetes definition that included both FPG and HbA1c, thus closing a major gap between global health statistics and clinical practice and guidelines.”
After I read several summaries of different reports, I ran into THIS gobbledygook: “The number of people with untreated diabetes increased…from 1990 to 2022 (figure 5). The largest contributor to this rise was the increase in the size and age of population, because diabetes is more prevalent in older age groups…In other places, population change accounted for 61–83% of the increase in untreated diabetes cases, and rise in diabetes prevalence accounted for 15–42% of the increase in untreated diabetes cases. In high-income western countries, followed by central and eastern Europe, Latin America, and east Asia and the Pacific, the rise in the number of people with diabetes was countered to some extent by the improvement in treatment…”
That’s great data, BUT WHY? People getting older is the sole cause of the sky-rocketing number of people diagnosed with Type 2? Really?
I am, to say the least, skeptical.
The Mayo Clinic headquartered here in my home state of Minnesota, has a very neat and clinical explanation: “Type 2 diabetes…is caused mainly by cells in muscle, fat and the liver [that] don't respond to insulin as they should. As a result, the cells don't take in enough sugar. The gland that makes insulin, called the pancreas, can't make enough to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.” OK – https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193
So, WHY are blood sugars so high that the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to control the level of sugar (to be clear, it’s NOT like…Cinnamon Toast Crunch sugar! That’s SUCROSE. It can’t control the level of GLUCOSE…) But again, WHAT? Where does the glucose come from that overwhelms an organ that EVOLVED (or was created) a very, very long time ago and seemed perfectly adequate for that very, very long time IN THE PAST 32 YEARS???
My spiffy little AI summarized ALL pertinent internet information and came up with the following: “Widespread obesity: Excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen, is the strongest risk factor for Type 2 diabetes and directly contributes to insulin resistance. The epidemic of obesity mirrors the rise in diabetes cases globally. Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity is a major contributor, as regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, helps control weight, and encourages cells to use glucose for energy. Unhealthy diet: Diets high in processed foods, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and inflammation.”
Lemme see if I can translate this: “people are fat”; “people are lazy”; “people eat shit (aka, too much white sugar)”
Shocking, eh? If you are like me, you probably responded by saying, "Duh!"
Let me be clear: THE FINGER I’M POINTING AT Y’ALL HAS THREE FINGERS POINTING RIGHT BACK AT ME.
So with my succinct diagnosis, what do I (we) need to do: “Stop overeating, MOVE enough to make you tired, cut out most of the sugar you eat.”
KNOW that most of the sugar is hidden by big words and methods of cooking and baking. Know also, JUST FROM MINNESOTA: “2.278 million Short Tons Raw Value, which corresponds to a stocks-to-use ratio of 18.0 percent, up 1.8 percentage points from last month and edges 2012/13 to be the highest in 20 years.”
And so, I am proud to announce the CURE FOR Type 2 Diabetes!
Stop eating too much ALL THE TIME; move MORE (notice I avoid using the “E-word”, oh, fine!) I HAVE TO exercise more!; and I NEED TO STOP EATING SO MUCH SUGAR. OK -- let's get to work!
Links: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/04/science/nobel-prize-worthy-scientific-discoveries , https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/fromdnatobeer/exhibition-interactive/recombinant-DNA/recombinant-dna-technology-alternative.html, https://patient.boehringer-ingelheim.com/us/products/jardiance/type-2-diabetes/type-2-diabetes-and-your-heart?s_kwcid=AL!6545!3!738671423413!p!!g!!manage%20type%202%20diabetes&cid=cpc:GoogleAds:EA_JAR-T2D_DTC_GADS_US_EN_NONBRAND_GENERIC_TRAFFIC_DISCOVERY_g::T2D_Manage_%26_Avoid_p_kwd-manage%20type%202%20diabetes&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13541658712&gbraid=0AAAAADEx4vCmVl9_t-RD4Fh7lHvxsQGgS&gclid=CjwKCAjwi4PHBhA-EiwAnjTHuQ7NfP9LFg39oalhGVIndNkh_R478JmUyI0Wu98W3kQh8KkwsLqZGRoCfkIQAvD_BwE, https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/diabetes-lancet-1.7383245 , https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02317-1/fulltext
