Angry at news reports regarding wieght and 'diabetes'

[Geri]

I am getting so angry everytime 'diabetes' is mentioned regarding life style and weight.
I have often contacted the BBC and other channels to complain that not all people with diabetes are overweight, but I still keep encountering this generalisation within the media.

Last night on the One Show 'diabetes' was reported as being a great drain on the NHS due to the overweight causing 'diabetes' complications etc.
I wish there could be more of a distinction between type 1 and overwieght diabetes.
I have been type 1 for ages, have always counted carbs, calories and am conscious about my appearance,(although I would love to lose a few pounds, which are very stubborn to shift.) As many others might agree, I often have to have a will of iron as I would LOVE to stuff my face with loads of calories and carbs...... but dont.
It seems so unfair that ignorant people generally STILL think that only fat or lazy people get diabetes because of the generalisation in the media

Does anyone else feel the same or am I alone in this :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: .??????

 

[noblehead]

Geri,

It is annoying how diabetes is portrayed in the media but I have give-up being angry and frustrated, this subject comes up many times on the forum and everyone is of the same opinion as you.

Nigel

 

[Hazza]

Totally agree, why don't they ask thin people with diabetes questions, answer because it gets in the way of a good story.
:x

Harry

 

[louiseb]

I wish there could be more of a distinction between type 1 and overwieght diabetes.

what is this supposed to mean that there is 2 types type 1 and overweight diabetes are you trying to imply that type 2 diabetes is overweight diabetes if so you are just as ignorant as the media you are complaining about NOT ALL TYPE 2 DIABETICS ARE OVERWEIGHT AND NOT ALL OVERWIEGHT PEOPLE ARE DIABETIC.

 

[Geri]

Louiseb...... that is why I said overweight diabetes and not type 2 diabetes!.
I am not ignorant of the fact that some type 2s have a healthy lifestyle and may not be overwieght.
BUT..... diabetes is often used to describe the overwieght, poorly nourished and inactive people within the media. That is the point of my comment.
In my experience,Type 1is tougher than Type 2. Perhaps this is why I feel so angry that the media generalises the condition as being all the same...... or perhaps it is because people who can correct their diagnosis by eating healthily and becoming more active, can actually rid themselves of this condition.
Surely you feel the same.!

 

[louiseb]

Louiseb...... that is why I said overweight diabetes and not type 2 diabetes!.
I am not ignorant of the fact that some type 2s have a healthy lifestyle and may not be overwieght.
BUT..... diabetes is often used to describe the overwieght, poorly nourished and inactive people within the media. That is the point of my comment.
In my experience,Type 1is tougher than Type 2. Perhaps this is why I feel so angry that the media generalises the condition as being all the same...... or perhaps it is because people who can correct their diagnosis by eating healthily and becoming more active, can actually rid themselves of this condition.
Surely you feel the same.!

sorry I DONT think type1 is tougher than type2 we are all diabetics and all face the same complictions, and type2 diabetics cannot rid themselves of this condition by correcting there diet in your words, it is possible that control can be improved and but type 2 does not just dissapear.
type2 can be CONTROLLED through diet NOT cured.
I still feel that you are just as ignorant as the media you complain about.

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi Geri,

Perhaps you would like to look at this from the perspective of a Type 2?

We have enough aggrevation from the media without some Type 1's whipping us as well. There are many Type 2's who fall into depression because of the blame game and yet there is a strong genetic link to Type 2 as well as Type 1. Did the diabetes make us overweight or did being overweight make us Type 2 diabetic? The jury is still out on that one and lots of research is going on. This may explain why not all overweight people get diabetes. You can eat healthily and still put on weight you know, Many Type 2's did prior to diagnosis. You don't go on a diabetic diet previous to diagnosis.

I have every sympathy for Type 1's as it is hard for them to manage their diabetes. The parents of Type children do a marvellous job and I cannot praise them enough. I understand that Type 1's had their condition thrust upon them and I cannot do anything to change that. It is also not my fault.

Surely we should not be falling out as to who has the worst deal, diabetes is a chronic condition and we should be together on this one and educate the public at every opportunity. I am underweight now and when people know I have diabetes they say, When do you inject?" or "How much sugar do you have in your tea" etc... I educate them and explain that you do not have to be overweight to get Type 2 and how it differs from Type 1. If we could get the message out there then things would change for all diabetics.

I have no axe to grind with anyone and I cannot see the sense of infighting. I, for one, am not prepared to play the shame game.

 

[dectjoh]

I am a recently diagnosed Type 1 and I had my first check up today with the diabetic nurse at my GP surgery. She told me about all the things she would check next time we met but she actually made me feel better about being type 1 rather than type 2. She explained to me that I effectively start with a fresh sheet in terms of potential complications because my deterioration was so quick. This is in stark contrast to many type 2's who may have suffered with high sugars for a very long time without realising it. The complications they might endure therefore are not their fault, I'm sure they would have tried to avoid these if they had been aware - what sensible human being wouldn't?! I understand the 'chicken and egg' situation with insulin and weight gain and now can relate to why some type 2's are 'overweight' - however we, and they, will never know which came first - natural resistance causing weight gain or weight gain causing resistance. At the end of the day, we are all suffering from the 'same' condition and I for one have been very grateful for all the advice I have received in the past few weeks from type 1's and type 2's who are all trying very hard to manage their conditions in whatever way they can. Thank you all. Tracy

 

[Geoff]

Hi Geri, you seem to be labouring under some misconceptions here; contrary to what you say, type 2 diabetes is in my opinion far harder to keep under control than type one. Once a type one is diagnosed and stabilised, with the correct training and will power, as long as they control their portion size, get the dosage for their basal insulin stable (that is non pumpers) match the correct insulin to the carbs, they can eat what they like and whenever they like and lead a perfectly normal life, that is if there are no other underling conditions.

Type 2 diabetics who only use diet to control their condition eat and then must test their blood several hours later to see what their blood sugar has risen too, (that is if they can get the test strips) if they have got it wrong and their bs is to high, they must wait several hours more before eating again so that their bs levels drop back to what is the normal range. This is not the case for us type 1’s, we can test after two hours, make a correction with more insulin and be back to normal for the next meal time.

One last point, at present there is no known cure for diabetes, be it type 1 or type 2! You cannot eat your way out of it by sticking to a healthy diet!! Once you are diagnosed as being diabetic you are always diabetic.

 

[HLW]

Surely you feel the same.!

I don't feel the same. I have now been correctly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, before that it was assumed to be type 2, so I have experience of both in a way (at the start, the tablets were working as well as they would had it really been type 2). Neither is easier really, I think.

Also people with type 2 cannot 'correct their diagnosis' and 'rid themselves of this condition' - maybe some can but not very many.

Your posts come across as saying 'people with type 2 diabetes are fat and lazy and choose to have diabetes, it is all their fault. They are such slobs, I don't care if everyone thinks they are fat and lazy.' I find your attitude quite offensive really.

 

[Geri]

Ooops I seam to have caused offence. Sorry, my niggle was at the media.
OK. I was under the impression that overwieght diabetes can be cured just by diet. This was due to an article I saw on TV about 10 months ago. The man in the news said that he had type 2 and that since he had been exercising more and eating less, his condition had greatly improved. He then showed a frying pan with potatoes, onions and tomatoes as evidence of his new 'better' diet.
I was actually quite aghast because I have never eaten that much in my life!

2) I am sorry if I seamed to indicate that type 2s are all fat and lazy. I do not think this. I have good friends who are type 2 due to inherited diabetes, and also old age diabetes, and also I hear from mothers who have kids with CF and type 2 diabetes as an 'addition' to ther health. All of these people are classed as type 2, so I know that the spectrum is very broad.

3) You have educated me on the problems type 2s have with wieght gain. I didnt know this and it has given me more information when complaining to the media. However, try telling an 8 year old girl that injecting 5 times a day is as hard as taking tablets. I also had abseccess due to injection sights. My immune system attacked the insulin I had injected and this was an awful experience. After 42 years of injecting, I would rather take tablets any day.

4) some of you seam to think that type 1s can just manage their condition as easy as a piece of cake. WRONG... just as I have learnt from your posts that type 2 is still difficult to manage, some with type 1 find it very difficult to manage.

5) The whole point of my post was that the media states that diabetes is a drain on the NHS and that people who dont watch their diet and dont exercise are more likely to get 'diabetes'.
This is what my post was all about. You have educated me that not all type 2s can help thier wieght. We should indeed link together and campaign together when we hear this sort of thing on TV and in the papers.
Incidently, after I complained to the TV new station that had shown the large man showing his new found healthy diet, the news clip was taken off air.

So, I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I have learnt that type 2 is difficult to manage as well as type 1. but please, lets ALL get together and complain to the news and paper people if we see diabetes linked to diet and inactivity! We obviously need to educate the media, as well as the non diabetic community who watches the media. 8)

 

[Geri]

5) The whole point of my post was that the media states that diabetes is a drain on the NHS and that people who dont watch their diet and dont exercise are more likely to get 'diabetes'.
This is what my post was all about. You have educated me that not all type 2s can help thier wieght. We should indeed link together and campaign together when we hear this sort of thing on TV and in the papers.
Incidently, after I complained to the TV new station that had shown the large man showing his new found healthy diet, the news clip was taken off air.

So, I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I have learnt that type 2 is difficult to manage as well as type 1. but please, lets ALL get together and complain to the news and paper people if we see diabetes linked to diet and inactivity! We obviously need to educate the media, as well as the non diabetic community who watches the media.

This above is my summary.
Having read my posts, I seam to sound quite aggressive. Sorry. Im quite a kitten really..... but quite a tiger when it comes to bad media. love Geri. xx

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi Geri,
Made me laugh when you said that your niggle was with the media. You fell into the trap yourself as you believed what was said about overweight diabetes being cured by diet on a TV programme.
You too have now been educated. :wink:
Support is what this forum is about regardless of type.

 

[lovinglife]

I saw this on the one show too - what the guy said was "obesity can lead to diabetes and heart disease" - I am sure all those with heart disease that have never been fat ar otherwise healthy etc etc are probably just as up in arms as us T2's about the statement.

But whether we like it or not there is some truth in his statement - the operative word is CAN - at the risk of being shot down in flames this statement is true to an extent - NOT everyone is diabetic because thy are fat but some would have never developed it if they led a healthy lifestyle and took better care of themselves. (ducks behind wall and dons tin hat!) :wink:

I have a family full of skinny T2 diabetics - I am one of those who carried on regardless and done all the things I shouldn't have and became very obese - knowing I was prone to get T2 never stopped me until it was too late - maybe if I had been more sensible I would have delayed the onset or even kept it at bay or could have controlled it with diet alone

T1 or T2 - both come with their own problems and I personally don't think one is worse than the other - just different - but we all have a common goal - to control our BS. avoid complications and live a happy healthy life - lets concentrate on helping each other do that instead of "my disease is worse than your disease" - it makes us no better than the media when we resort to that

 

[noblehead]

T1 or T2 - both come with their own problems and I personally don't think one is worse than the other - just different - but we all have a common goal - to control our BS. avoid complications and live a happy healthy life - lets concentrate on helping each other do that instead of "my disease is worse than your disease" - it makes us no better than the media when we resort to that

Well said lovinglife!

Nigel

 

[Dippy3103]

And it's the media attitude to t2 that has caused me to be so ashamed of of my diagnosis I keep it pretty much a secret. Both my brother and I are diabetic, as was our gran. I know of a few very overweight people who are not diabetic. I know skinny diabetics.
I believe my diabetes is an unfortunate mix of genetics plus poor diet.

 

[JUSTFOCUS]

OK what if youve had an accident that led you to imbobile for 3-4 yrs and then spend 2yrs trying to get an mri scan .To only support what you have told your DR all along and put on 3st. Then get type 2 because your over weight and immobile .If only the DR had listened i don't think i would be diabetic or over weight (lost 1 stone now)
would very much like all your thoughts type 1 or 2 ? JF

 

[Dippy3103]

I stand by what I said. A t2 becomes diabetic because they had an existing predisposition. It may then be triggered by lifestyle, but if it was just down to weight
/inactivaty then all fat people would be diabetic and all diabetics fat.

 

[louiseb]

I stand by what I said. A t2 becomes diabetic because they had an existing predisposition. It may then be triggered by lifestyle, but if it was just down to weight
/inactivaty then all fat people would be diabetic and all diabetics fat.

well said

 

[louiseb]

OK what if youve had an accident that led you to imbobile for 3-4 yrs and then spend 2yrs trying to get an mri scan .To only support what you have told your DR all along and put on 3st. Then get type 2 because your over weight and immobile .If only the DR had listened i don't think i would be diabetic or over weight (lost 1 stone now)
would very much like all your thoughts type 1 or 2 ? JF

I think its awful that you had to spend 2 years waiting to get an MRI scan but I think the fact you gained weight migh have contributed to you getting diabetes but not caused it you must have had a genic tendancy to develop diabetes.