James Muecke: Sugar, Diabetes & Eye Health

James Muecke is an Australian ophthalmologist, 2020 Australian of The Year recipient and proponent of healthy eating. After beginning his career in Kenya, Muecke returned to Australia where he became an eye surgeon and advocate for preventing blindness. He has started both Vision Myanmar and Sight For All, organisations aimed at eliminating blindness throughout the world. In 2012, James Muecke was appointed a Member of The Order of Australia (AM) and in 2019 he received the University of Adelaide's Vice-Chancellor's Alumni Award. In 2020, he was named both South Australian of the Year and Australian of the year. James’ primary focus in recent years has been on increasing public awareness of the dangers of refined food, particularly sugar. Type 2 diabetes is the largest cause of blindness in Australia and abroad, leading Dr. Muecke to focus on the preventability and reversibility of this condition when these refined foods are eliminated.