Which is most likely responsible for the recent increase in type 2 diabetes in the population?
(a) an increase in prevalence of obesity genetic changes
(b) an increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup
(c) an increase in gestational diabetes
(d) an increase in allergies and autoimmune diseases

The best answer to the question: Which is most likely responsible for the recent increase in type 2 diabetes in the population?, would be, B: an increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.

Explanation:

With the appearance of overweight problems, around the 70´s and 80´s, and the fear of fats being the cause of this, the food industry decided to seek for a substance that could replace the flavor that fats gave to food, and made them appetizing to consumers. And they found the perfect replacement in sugary syrups and in starches. The end result of the replacement was not the control of overweight issues, but rather, a pandemic of obesity, and an accelerated increase in the appearance of diabetes type 2. The reason is precisely that the food industry began to use these high-fructose corn syrups and starches to make food attractive to consumers. The human body is programmed in such a way that it can handle a certain amount of molecules of glucose, product of carbohydrates in the foods. But with the advent of obesity, and diabetes, food producers sought the solution in fructose, without realizing that fructose can also become a problem for the body, that it can also be stored as fat, that it also produces weight issues and that, just like glucose, it can surpass the body´s capacity to produce insulin to deal with the amount of fructose molecules present in corn syrups. The result, an increase in diabetes type 2 thanks to these replacements.