Most of the article is about how growing rice contributes negatively to climate change, and also how it's not scaling up with demand and the yields are getting lower while demand increases.

However, they also make this claim:

Rice’s nutritional quality is another growing concern. The grain is high in glucose, which contributes to diabetes and obesity, and low in iron and zinc, two important micronutrients. In South Asia the prevalence of diabetes and malnutrition can be traced to over-reliance on rice.

Is this true? Is South Asia's prevalence of diabetes notorious enough, and can it be traced to rice consumption? The article provides no references.