Dr. Cox has spent much of his professional career as a National Institutes of Health investigator studying how behavior effects blood glucose among adults with type 1 diabetes and how extreme blood glucose effects behavior. He has published over 250 scientific articles and secured over $25 million of research funding.
In 2010, he experienced unexpected weight loss, blurring of his vision, excessive thirst and frequent urination. One night while returning to bed after a trip to the bathroom, it struck him that he had type 2 diabetes. The next morning this was confirmed when going to his office and measuring his blood glucose. Realizing he would prefer not take medication and he was not optimistic about loosing 6% of his body weight, he personally investigated the benefits of controlling his blood glucose by reducing certain carbohydrates and increasing his physical activity, and confirming the impact of these behavior changes with blood glucose monitoring. After 9 months he lowered his A1c from 10.3 to 5.6. He has been able to keep his A1c below 6.0 for the last 12 years on no medication and with the significant support of his wife, Debbie. Following his initial success, he investigated whether this approach would be similarly effective for others. After 10 years of subsequent research and over $10 million of research grants, he can confidently state that Glucose Everyday Matters (GEM) is a powerful and effective tool for those inclined to follow his approach. He now hopes to step outside of the laboratory and share his findings with others also dealing with type 2 diabetes.