Until recently, type 2 diabetes was rare in Nepal. Nepalese people, along with other Asian and indigenous peoples, are genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes. Yet, the disease only emerged after energy-dense processed foods were introduced to the country and people started to gain weight. Now, the country has a high prevalence of the disease, and its disabling complications, and medication-based diabetes treatments are unaffordable for most.

An international team of researchers, led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal, is investigating whether reverting to a traditional diet could help to reduce the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes in Nepal. Researchers hope their data will support low-cost community interventions for type-2 diabetes in other countries around the world.