Health experts are calling for global recognition of a new form of diabetes linked to malnutrition, which they are referring to as “type 5 diabetes,” in an effort to tackle the disease in regions struggling with poverty and food scarcity. Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is often associated with obesity and insulin resistance, or type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood due to insufficient insulin production, this emerging form primarily affects underweight individuals who do not consume enough food.
Recent research published in The Lancet Global Health indicates that over 25 million people, mostly in developing countries, are affected by this form of diabetes. The condition often appears in people under the age of 30 and impairs insulin production, though it is generally less severe than type 1 diabetes.
The study’s authors urged the international diabetes community to formally recognize type 5 diabetes, reflecting a consensus reached by the International Diabetes Federation earlier this year. While types 3 and 4 have not been officially classified, experts agreed that malnutrition-driven diabetes warrants its own category.
Malnutrition-related diabetes is not entirely new. In the 1980s and 1990s, the World Health Organization identified a form of “malnutrition-related diabetes” but removed it from classification in 1999 due to a lack of consensus on whether undernourishment alone could trigger the disease. Since then, research from countries including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Uganda, Pakistan, and Rwanda has suggested that such a link is indeed possible.
Despite growing evidence, the exact mechanisms connecting malnutrition to this form of diabetes remain unclear, and it is not yet known how effective existing diabetes treatments, which typically focus on managing weight, are for type 5. Experts emphasize that the most effective approach involves addressing underlying poverty and hunger. Programs that improve access to affordable, energy-rich foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates, such as lentils, legumes, fortified grains, and oil-enriched cereals, could play a crucial role in preventing and managing the disease.
The researchers hope that formal recognition of type 5 diabetes will help mobilize international resources and attention toward tackling a condition that disproportionately affects some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
