Better access to quality diabetes education needed for a healthier future

Reviewed by Aimee MolineuxNov 21 2022

Today, the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) is delighted to renew its support to World Diabetes Day (WDD) for the eleventh consecutive year, joining the call to action from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to highlight the need for better access to quality diabetes education to protect tomorrow.

Promoting better access to diabetes education

More than half a billion people are currently living with diabetes worldwide and millions more are at risk of developing diabetes. One in two people with diabetes don’t know they have the disease and remain undiagnosed. Importantly also, it is predicted that by 2030 the number of adults living with diabetes will rise to 643 million, and to 784 million by 2045. Therefore, people living with diabetes need access to ongoing diabetes education, including on nutrition, to understand their condition and carry out the daily self-care essential to staying healthy and avoiding complications.

Join the workshop organized by the Mexican Diabetes Federation

​​​​​​​Healthcare professionals are invited to join the workshop organized on 23rd November 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00pm, Mexico City time (midnight to 2:00am CET on 24^th November), by the Mexican Diabetes Federation (Federación Mexicana de Diabetes – FMD) and supported by the ISA on the theme ‘Uses and benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners’. More information on the programme and registration is available here.

Discover the latest dietary guidelines for obesity and diabetes management

A webinar by the European Federation of Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) and its European Specialist Dietetic Network (ESDN) on Obesity taking place in November 2022 (exact date TBC) will present the latest nutritional guidelines for obesity and diabetes management, including about the role of sugars and low/no calorie sweeteners. More information will be available soon.

Education on low/no calorie sweeteners can help people living with diabetes: ISA campaign for WDD 2022

Both health professionals and people living with diabetes need to have better access to nutrition education in diabetes, including about the role of low/no calorie sweeteners in diabetes control.

Low/no calorie sweeteners offer people with diabetes broader food choices by providing the pleasure of sweet taste without affecting blood glucose control. Studies show that unlike carbohydrates, low/no calorie sweeteners do not raise blood sugar level, and that people with diabetes can use them safely. This is also recognized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which authorized the health claim that low/no calorie sweeteners used as a replacement for sugars induce a lower blood sugar rise after consumption compared to sugar-containing foods and drinks.

The ISA website provides numerous educational materials on low/no calorie sweeteners’ role in diabetes, including recordings of previous webinars and scientific events, as well as various resources for healthcare professionals that have been developed with the aim to provide evidence-based scientific information on the safety, use, role and benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners, such as the infographic: ‘Low/no calorie sweeteners in diabetes’ and the media factsheet ‘Diabetes and Blood Sugar Control with Low/no Calorie Sweeteners’.

ISA activities for World Diabetes Day have been endorsed by diabetes organisations including the Brazilian diabetes association(ANAD), the Colombian Diabetology Federation (FDC), the Mexican Diabetes Federation (FMD) and the Brazilian Federation of Diabetes’ Organisations (FENAD).

Share the ISA campaign for World Diabetes Day 2022 on social media with your friends, family and network by using the dedicated hashtags #ISA4WDD, #WDD2022 and #EducationToProtect.

Follow @SweetenersAndU, ISA Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and subscribe to the ISA YouTube channel to find out more about this campaign and webinars and to advance your knowledge on what can be done to prevent or manage diabetes!

More information about ISA activities for World Diabetes Day is available here.

ISA Video to Promote education on diabetes for a healthier tomorrow - ISA supports World Diabetes Day 2022 is available here.

Video Credit: International Sweeteners Association