Researchers are working to understand what's driving diabetes rates in the Rio Grande Valley, where one in three people live with the disease.

Robert Gonzalez is living with type 2 diabetes. In his late 20s, he began noticing symptoms including frequent nighttime urination, constant thirst, and extreme fatigue. He decided to see a doctor and learned his blood sugar level was at 300.

That was 32 years ago.

"I never took care of myself. It terrified me, but I never took care of myself in my mind to say, I have to change," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said at one point he weighed more than 300 pounds. At that stage in his life, he says nutrition wasn't a priority.

"A lot of it had to do with what we eat, and an excess of calories," Gonzalez said. "So that was a big contributing factor to my weight gain, and I couldn't lose the weight."

Studies show the rate of diabetes in the Valley is higher than the national average of one in eight.

Health experts say obesity is a driver of type 2 diabetes. McAllen ranks second on WalletHub's 2026 list of fattest cities.

Answering why that is forms part of what researchers at the UTRGV South Texas Diabetes Center of Excellence are studying. Teams are exploring both environmental and genetic factors to better understand what's driving the high rate of diabetes in the Valley and what can be done to reduce it.

Dr. Chelsea Chang says one of the biggest issues they continue to see is access to care.

"People in the Valley need to be able to get that screening easily, and get access to healthy food," Chang said. It's much easier to pick up tacos than to pick up fruits and vegetables in the Valley."

Genetics can also raise the risk of diabetes. But Chang says those factors should not discourage anyone from taking charge of their health. She says screening is key, especially to catch prediabetes early.

"Prediabetes is that range where it's not normal, but it's not quite diabetes, and 80% of people with prediabetes have no idea. That's the key point where it's totally reversible; just with small changes you can totally bring that back to normal," Chang said.

Gonzalez says a doctor once warned he might not make it another five years. It's why he has turned his life around.

"I decided enough was enough. I decided to educate myself, learn what diabetes is," Gonzalez said.

Now in his 50s, Gonzalez eats healthy. He also makes time for daily workouts, whether that's bodyweight exercise, running, or cycling. He has maintained his weight at around 176 pounds and no longer needs medication.

Now he's inspiring others through his diabetes-focused Facebook group, "Life as a Diabetic," which has over 41,000 members, many from the Valley.

"I'm not out of the woods yet," Gonzalez said. "I keep my healthy lifestyle; it's something that's embedded in my mind and in my heart because at the end of the day, I only have one life." 

This April, CHANNEL 5 NEWS will educate viewers about diabetes prevention and treatment. KRGV will provide a 360-degree look into the diabetes epidemic in the RGV.

H-E-B and South Texas Health System are offering free diabetes screenings in the month of April. Check out the calendar at this link for times and dates when the screenings will be available.

Heart of the Valley: Diabetes is sponsored by Prime Health and South Texas Health System.