Diabetes: when diet rhymes with health and pleasure 

By Ariane Sultan, university professor specializing in diabetology, endocrinology and nutrition and head of the Nutrition-Diabetes department at Montpellier's CHU Lapeyronie.

Perspectives on diabetes and diet

Diabetes " is defined by a rise in blood sugar levels, known as elevated glycemia. It is a chronic disease, which means that diabetes cannot be cured, but blood sugar levels can be balanced, thereby reducing the risk of complications associated with hyperglycemia," says Professor Ariane Sultan.

Scheduled as part of the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH), the conference will focus in particular on the specificities of type 2 diabetes, a metabolic and potentially incapacitating disease that is constantly on the rise. This conference will provide an opportunity to understand the concrete impact of diabetes, and to raise awareness of the consequences of this disability on everyday life. At the UM, people with diabetes can apply for Recognition of Disabled Worker Status (RQTH) and benefit from job adaptation.

As Ariane Sultan points out, "it is estimated that today, almost 5% of the French population has type 2 diabetes. Forecasts show that this prevalence will increase, in direct correlation with the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity".

Food is much more than just fuel for the body. It is a determining factor in our health, influencing our physical and mental well-being. Ariane Sultan will address the qualitative and quantitative aspects of diet, highlighting the nutritional choices that can help prevent and manage diabetes.

She will explain how an adapted diet can contribute to better glycemic control, while taking into account individual lifestyle habits and preferences. She will also discuss the latest nutritional recommendations and strategies for supporting people living with this condition. "We'll be advocating healthy eating in diabetes. Ultimately, this is the diet we should be recommending to anyone who wants to be healthy," explains Ariane Sultan.

Offering a paradigm shift

Far from restrictive diets, Prof. Ariane Sultan defends a humanist and benevolent vision of nutrition, where eating pleasure occupies a central place. Eating should remain an act of joy, sharing and culture, even in the context of chronic illness, and become a genuine form of care for everyone. " Maintaining pleasure and quality of life is essential in supporting people living with diabetes," concludes Ariane Sultan.

This conference will encourage us to rethink our relationship with food, to combine health and pleasure, and to better support people living with diabetes - an invisible handicap - towards an improved quality of life.

The conference will be followed by a presentation on diet and type 2 diabetes by the Service Commun de Médecine Préventive et de Promotion de la Santé (SCMPPS).

If you have any questions about the event's accessibility, please contact the Handiversité department by e-mail.

Conference organized by the Handiversité - Campus Life Department of the University of Montpellier (UM) as part of the UM's Handicap Master Plan and the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH).