Type 2 Diabetes as a Food-Borne Illness

Objective:To present a case for reclassifying the epidemic of type 2 diabetes as a food-borne illness.

Methods:Literature review

Results:Not present

Conclusion:  The modern epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States needs to be re-evaluated by examining the role of the dietary factors among the leading contributors to mortality and morbidity. Lacking the acute onset and rapid symptom progression seen in salmonella, E. coli, typhoid, or other microbial diseases, type 2 diabetes may not be recognized as a food-borne illness. However, abundant evidence shows that the illness follows specific dietary patterns. Labeling type 2 diabetes as a food-borne illness will appropriately redirect attention to its major causes and to appropriate interventions in the domains of nutrition and public health. As such, public health policy interventions for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes must focus on food availability, promotion, and consumption.