USF Undertakes $169 Million Dollar Study
The National Institute of Heath recently granted $169 Million Dollars to the University of South Florida to study the environmental causes of Type 1 Diabetes.
The causes for Type 1 Diabetes are thought to be both genetic and environmental, but not much research has gone into the environmental part of the equation. This study will follow babies with the genetic predisposition for Type 1 Diabetes for 10 years and monitor their environment and eating habits. The study will also take place internationally to control for geographic differences.
The study design and abstract are here- The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study. The press release from the USF Heath department is here- USF Center of 10-year International Study to Determine Cause of Juvenile Diabetes.
I feel that this is a great study that will highlight the problems associated with the modern diet. It is no coincidence that Type 1 Diabetes occurrences have climbed dramatically since the 80’s. I think the advent of fast food and the lack of nutrition has certainly helped the disease. Personally, I always make it a point to ask Type 1 Diabetics that I meet about their eating habits when they were younger. Every one that I can recall has always talked about having a sweet tooth, or a certain love for candy. I know that I used to eat table sugar in a bowl with milk after realizing that the cereal was just spoiling the flavor. I now think this probably had something to do with becoming Diabetic.
Other diabetics I know share a similar story, or at least felt they ate too many sweets when they were younger. If your a Type 1 Diabetic reading this- go ahead and share your story in the comments. How would you rate your pre-diabetes eating habits?
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