According to this Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) survey conducted in January 2007, an estimated 69% of Americans would rather treat diabetes with dietary changes, such as a vegetarian diet, rather than medication.

According to this PCRM survey of 1,022 adults, 69% of Americans would prefer to treat an illness such as diabetes with a dietary change, such as vegetarianism, rather than take a pill. According to PCRM clinical research, it has been consistently found that people with diabetes adapt well to low-fat vegetarian diets, which can provide important health benefits.

In Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, a book by PCRM’s president, a dietary approach to diabetes is presented, based on research that shows that a low-fat vegan diet can lower high blood sugar levels three times more effectively than oral medication.

Other survey findings:

• Women are more likely than men to prefer dietary changes over pills.
• People with more education and higher incomes are more likely to favor a dietary approach.
• Americans age 45-64 preferred dietary changes, compared with older Americans.
• People in the western United States were more likely to prefer dietary changes compared with people in other regions.