Speaker:  Dr. Vanita Rahman

Title: The Role of Nutrition in the Prevention and Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract: Non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, are rising at an alarming rate in India due to the unique genetic risks of the Indian population and the westernization of the Indian diet and lifestyle. The current prevalence of obesity and diabetes in India is 40 and 16 percent, respectively. Diabetes is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in India. Although cardiometabolic conditions – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, obesity – are strongly influenced by dietary factors, the use of dietary interventions in often eclipsed by the use of medications in clinical practice.

In clinical trials, plant-based dietary interventions have led to lower cholesterol levels, improved glycemic control, sustainable weight loss, and, as part of a program including other lifestyle changes, reversal of coronary artery disease. Despite the benefits of plant-based diets, most physicians do not prescribe plant-based diets due to a lack of knowledge, time constraints, or concerns regarding patient interest or adherence.

Dr. Rahman will review the unique genetic vulnerability of the Indian population to diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions, and the research evidence regarding the role of plant-based diets in the prevention and reversal of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. She will also provide practical tips and resources to help the attendees make meaningful dietary changes.

About The Speaker:  Dr. Vanita Rahman was born in New Delhi and spent her school-age years in Bangalore attending the New Horizon Public School. She completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Virginia. She is currently the clinic director at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, where she leads clinical research, facilitates nutrition education programs, and provides patient care with an emphasis on nutrition. Dr. Rahman is the principal investigator in two clinical trials exploring the role of Zoom-based nutrition education in obesity and diabetes management. She is also a clinical instructor in medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and frequently speaks at international conferences about the role of nutrition in chronic disease. Dr. Rahman is a board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, certified nutritionist, and personal trainer. She has authored several books on plant-based nutrition and published articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts clinical research and provides nutrition education. Physicians Committee experts have been principal investigators in dozens of clinical trials and published original research in peer-reviewed medical journals, including JAMA Network.