A new survey reveals a surprising “confidence-accuracy gap” in diabetes nutrition, where widespread food myths lead many to feel sure of their choices while actively avoiding healthy foods.
In the age of wellness influencers and HealthTok, it can be hard to decipher what nutrition advice is legitimate and what isn’t. This becomes especially complicated when you have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Doctors, family, friends, and online influencers may all give different advice, and navigating it can turn meal times into a source of stress. That’s why we chartered this comprehensive survey to sort the nutrition facts from the nutrition myths.
In this survey, we fielded the opinions and experiences of 400 adults without diabetes, 400 adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, and 200 registered dietitians. We discovered how they decide who to trust, what to eat, and where to get their information. Here’s what we found.
Key Takeaways
97% of registered dietitians report their patients express confusion about which fruits to eat, with 53% of diagnosed patients admitting they have second-guessed eating fruit themselves.
48% of diagnosed patients believe all types of fat should be limited — a myth that leads 29% to intentionally avoid healthy fats like avocados and nuts.
70% of dietitians stated that patients most often mention getting nutrition advice from friends or family, while 40% of T2D patients report making drastic dietary changes based on social media.
51% of “very confident” patients incorrectly believe the body processes natural and added sugars the same way.
Diagnosed patients under 44 are about 1.5 times more likely to have anxiety about eating fruit as those over 60 (60% vs. 39%).
A majority of dietitians (52%) identified sugar as the single most misunderstood nutrient by their patients, followed by fat (21%).
Fruit: A Misunderstood Whole Food
Despite their nutritional value, many people with type 2 diabetes feel anxious about eating fruit. In fact, more than half (53%) of diagnosed patients that we surveyed said they thought twice about eating fruit out of concern for their blood sugar. While this demonstrates that people with Type 2 Diabetes are being proactive about their health, it also shows that many misunderstand the difference between fruit sugar and processed sugar. This isn’t an isolated statistic, either; 97% of dietitians confirmed that patients in their practices are wary of eating fruit.
These numbers highlight a critical gap between patients’ concern and their knowledge. While being mindful of blood sugar is vital for managing diabetes, so is eating a wide variety of whole foods–especially fruit.
This is a perfect opportunity for healthcare providers to provide more specific guidance on how to eat when you have diabetes.
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The Myth Network: Where Patients Get Their Advice
In today’s world, a doctor’s recommendation competes with an endless scroll of social media feeds and advice from well-meaning relatives. While diagnosed patients report that healthcare providers (66%) are their top source of information, dietitians tell a different story. The sources their patients mention most often are friends and family (70%) and social media (63%).
Professional medical advice is valued, but it has to compete for attention more than ever before. This demonstrates a need for nutritional literacy on a larger cultural level.
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How Myths About Fat and Sugar Drive Unhealthy Choices
Misinformation has a direct and measurable impact on our choices. This is especially true when it comes to health advice. A staggering 48% of diagnosed patients still believe the outdated myth that all dietary fats should be limited. This drives 29% of the group to intentionally avoid foods with healthy unsaturated fats, like avocados and nuts.
Similarly to how many patients purposely avoided fruit due to the sugar content, this statistic shows another mismatch between patient concern and knowledge. Healthy fats can play a role in managing blood sugar and cholesterol, and without them, it may become harder to manage symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
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Eating Better With Age: Which Generation Is Most Nutritionally Literate?
We found an interesting divide between generations. While Millennials and Gen Z were most confident in their health knowledge, they were also the least accurate. Meanwhile, Gen X was slightly less confident than Millennials, but a lot more accurate, and Boomers were least confident, but correct most often.
This inverse relationship between self-assessed confidence and factual accuracy may speak to the divide between how digitally native generations engage with health information and how older generations do.
Health professionals must account for this when counseling younger patients with type two diabetes, in order to combat misinformation they may not realize they fell for.
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The Avocado Paradox: A “Hero Food” Hiding in Plain Sight
One example of the disconnect between knowledge and choice is how T2D patients view the avocado. It’s a fruit that is almost universally recognized as healthy, with 68% of diagnosed patients identifying it as a source of healthy fat. And yet, nearly a third of them (29%) actively avoid healthy fats. Despite the fact that the nutrients in avocado can positively impact T2D symptoms, many patients may be avoiding them.
Knowing a specific food is good for you isn’t always enough to overcome a deeply ingrained, generalized fear of an entire nutrient category.
This presents a clear opportunity to use a food like avocado as an educational tool to help debunk broader myths.
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Which Foods Patients Avoid Most
We asked those living with T2D, dietitians, and the general population which foods people with type 2 diabetes should avoid. While all three groups agreed that processed carbohydrates like bread and pasta should be avoided, we noticed significant splits between attitudes toward fruits like grapes and bananas.
While this shows that our population knows the risks of processed carbs, the heightened fear of fruits shows how broad-stroke advice can sometimes lead to the specific avoidance of healthy, whole foods. While RDs report that their patients avoid avocados, only 5-6% of those we surveyed believed that avocados weren’t beneficial to those with T2D.
This shows that there may be a discrepancy between what people are eating and what they’re telling their doctors.
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The Anatomy of a Myth: A Deep Dive into Sugar and Fat
The foundation of nutritional confusion rests on a few core myths that dietitians hear from their patients daily. The three most common are the beliefs that natural and added sugars are the same (63%), that all fruit is bad for blood sugar (62%), and that all fats should be avoided (61%). These aren’t fringe beliefs; they are prevalent even among the most confident patients.
This isn’t just a matter of lacking knowledge; it’s a crisis of misplaced confidence. Among diagnosed patients who rated themselves “very confident,” a majority (51%) were incorrect on the fundamental facts about both sugar metabolism and dietary fats.
This highlights that confidence is a poor predictor of accuracy, and these core myths are pervasive across all levels of self-assurance.
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The Social Media Effect: How Online Trends Drive Drastic Changes
While many patients look to doctors for guidance, a significant portion turn to social media for inspiration and advice. A remarkable 40% of patients with type 2 diabetes have made significant dietary changes based on something they saw on social media. These are not minor tweaks; they are often drastic and restrictive overhauls to their entire way of eating.
A powerful “social media effect” emerges where online trends can influence a patient’s daily habits. The prevalence of restrictive changes like avoiding all fruit or sugar suggests that the advice consumed online can sometimes lack the nuance required for a balanced, sustainable diabetes-friendly diet.
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From Insight to Action:
Empowering Patients with Knowledge
Modern patients aren’t believing misinformation on purpose. In an era where anyone with a smartphone and a social media account can dispense medical advice, it’s no surprise that we see a gap between confidence and knowledge even among those with type 2 diabetes. Health professionals can take this information and use it to start a necessary conversation with patients about where to get their nutritional advice. The ultimate goal is to empower people with the confidence they need to make satisfying, nourishing, and positive choices for their health.
Methodology
The data in this study was collected from three distinct online surveys conducted in September 2025: a survey of 400 U.S. adults (general population, without diabetes), a survey of 400 U.S. adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, and a survey of 200 U.S. registered dietitians. This study was funded by the Avocado Nutrition Center.
Fair Use Statement
This content is available for non-commercial use. When referencing this study, please give credit to Avocados – Love One Today® and include a link to this page.
About Avocados — Love One Today
Avocados – Love One Today® is a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides facts about fresh avocados in relevant and credible ways to help make it easy for health professionals and consumers to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday meals.
