Better access to nutrition education in diabetes is fundamental to protect tomorrow!
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) supports World Diabetes Day 2022 and acts upon the call to increase access to diabetes education globally
For more than a decade, the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) has consistently supported the World Diabetes Day (WDD) and the campaigns organised by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) annually to help raise awareness of diabetes and the need for greater access to diabetes care and education around the world.1
In line with the theme and scope of WDD 2022, the ISA is actively taking part in the WDD campaign aiming to help increase access to quality “education to protect tomorrow”, by supporting the organisation of two educational online events for healthcare professionals on nutrition and diabetes.
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).
About the ISA activities for WDD 2022
The ISA activities this year include an online campaign and the support of the organisation of two educational webinars for healthcare professionals about nutrition in obesity and diabetes, including about the role of low/no calorie sweeteners. The two ISA-supported educational online events include:
- A webinar in Spanish by the Mexican Diabetes Federation (Federación Mexicana de Diabetes – FMD), titled: “Low/no calorie sweeteners: Use and benefits”, taking place on 23 November 2022.
- A webinar in English by the European Federation of Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) and its European Specialist Dietetic Network (ESDN) on Obesity, titled: “Latest dietary guidelines for obesity and diabetes management”, taking place in November (exact date TBC).
On Wednesday, 23rd November 2022, 17h00-19h00 CST (Mexico), a webinar will be organised in Spanish by the Mexican Diabetes Federation (FMD) with the support of the ISA. Health professionals are invited to attend this online educational event, where the speakers Dr Rebeca López-García and Dr Hugo Laviada-Molina, MD, will cover various topics on the science behind the safety, use and role of low/no calorie sweeteners in obesity, diabetes and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as well as engage with the audience in a final session with live questions and answers. More information on the FMD webinar is available here.
In November 2022 (exact date TBC), a webinar will be organised in English by the European Federation of Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) and its European Specialist Dietetic Network (ESDN) on Obesity, with the support of the ISA. Dietitians and nutrition scientists are invited to attend this online educational event where scientific experts from EFAD’s ESDN Obesity and the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) will present the latest nutritional guidelines for obesity and diabetes management, including about the role of sugars and low/no calorie sweeteners. More information on the EFAD webinar will be available soon.
We invite you to register to attend the highly interesting FMD and EFAD webinar.
About the ISA online campaign for WDD 2022
The ISA activities for WDD 2022 also involve an online campaign aiming to help spread the word that education can help stop the rise of diabetes and protect tomorrow. 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.2
Studies show that unlike carbohydrates, low/no calorie sweeteners do not raise blood sugar level,3,4 and that people with diabetes can use them safely. This is also recognised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which authorised 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.5
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:
- Infographic: ‘Low/no calorie sweeteners in diabetes’
- Factsheet: ‘Sweet Talk on Diabetes’
- ISA Booklet, Chapter 5: ‘Low/no calorie sweeteners, glucose control and diabetes management’
For more scientific information about the benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners for people living with diabetes, you may also read the dedicated ISA website page here.
About World Diabetes Day 2022 and the need for better access to “Education to Protect Tomorrow”
The umbrella theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is access to diabetes care as millions of people living with diabetes globally do not have access to diabetes care and support to manage their condition.
The second year of WDD 2021-23 campaign is dedicated to “education to protect tomorrow”, with awareness activities highlighting the need for better access to diabetes education. While people living with diabetes urgently need access to ongoing education to understand their condition, health professionals must stay informed and up to date with the latest science to help their patients diagnose the condition early and manage their diabetes by providing the best possible care.
More information about World Diabetes Day 2022 and IDF’s new online educational platforms (Understanding Diabetes platform for people living with diabetes, and IDF School for Diabetes for health professionals) is available on the official WDD website by clicking here.
Follow the ISA digital campaign for #WDD2022!
Stay tuned on ISA social media profiles to find out more about diabetes education events for #WDD2022!
Don’t forget to use the dedicated hashtags #ISA4WDD, #WorldDiabetesDay #EducationToProtect, and to follow @SweetenersAndU, our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, as well as to subscribe to the ISA YouTube channel!
- World Diabetes Day (WDD) 2022. Available at: https://worlddiabetesday.org/
- Diabetes UK. The use of low or no calorie sweeteners. Position Statement (Updated December 2018). Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/professionals/position-statements-reports/food-nutrition-lifestyle/use-of-low-or-no-calorie-sweetners
- Nichol AD, Holle MJ, An R. Glycemic impact of non-nutritive sweeteners: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr 2018; 72: 796-804
- Greyling A, Appleton KM, Raben A, Mela DJ. Acute glycemic and insulinemic effects of low-energy sweeteners: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2020; 112(4): 1002-1014
- EFSA Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to intense sweeteners. EFSA 2011 Journal 9(6): 2229, and 9(4): 2076
