Beating type 2 diabetes: is it time for cigarette-style bans and taxes on sugary food and drinks?

By Dr James Muecke
Updated October 2 2020 - 5:35pm, first published May 12 2020 - 12:00am
The increasing intake of cheap, highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages has been catastrophic to our health. Illustration: Josh Hall.
The increasing intake of cheap, highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages has been catastrophic to our health. Illustration: Josh Hall.

In 2018 I met an everyday Aussie bloke whose story had a powerful impact on me. Neil Hansell constructs light machinery for a living. He has a wife and four kids. He also has type 2 diabetes. A few years ago, diabetes changed Neil's world overnight.