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Diabetic Labelled Foods: What do you think?

donnellysdogs said:
Don't teally understand the point of the questions though..we don't know the reasons why diabetics eat diabetic food.. Because we don't eat them.
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Hi donnellysdogs,

That's a fair point and I see where you're coming from.

There are 2 main reasons:

I thought I may catch some people on here who do eat them.

I thought I may catch some people on here who used to eat them and what they believed about the foods then prior to their research/them stopping and finding out why they stopped.

But now I know no one on this thread eats them but nonetheless it's been valuable getting everyone's input with regards to why they do not eat diabetic labeled foods
 
@QR93
I was diagnosed T2 ten years ago. One of the first things the nurse said to me (probably the only useful advice as the rest was 'eat complex carbs and take Metformin') was not to buy 'diabetic foods' as they contain sorbitol which will cause diahorrea. This was also standard advice when I was caring for my diabetic father over 20 years ago.
Perhaps you need to check if this advice is given to all newly diagnosed?

I do have some contact with other people with diabetes, who are not on this forum, and seem quite content to continue as they did because they have been told to follow the Eatwell plate, and that they don't need to worry because Metformin is a wonder drug. I will put your questions to them and report back. Just because I like you!
 
I too was warned of sorbitol products 30+ years ago...
 
On diagnosis I was given a glossy magazine-type book by my nurse, produced by the NHS for diabetics. It made it very clear we should not buy diabetic labelled foods and gave the reasons why. It seems the NHS is fully aware of the dangers and is telling diabetics not to buy them.
 
Today I met with a group of people who are overweight/obese and have T2 diabetes. These people have no interest in this forum, nor do they want to know how I have managed to maintain non-diabetic BG readings for the last 4 years. (Probably because I am still fat, and appearances count to them) I like these people, they exercise, and follow the advice from their HCPs, much of which is typical NHS standard advice. (Eatwell plate, carbs with every meal, low fat, diabetes is progressive etc. ) Some have attended diabetes management courses. Some have already expeienced diabetic complications. They think I am a bit crazy for going against NHS advice, but they tolerate me. I have given up trying to persuade any of them to change diet to reduce carbs, because although it is distresing to see them become more dependent on meds, and to have problems with neuopathy etc, nobody can make someone else change unless they want to. So, I put your questions to 4 of the women from the group, separately, so they could answer individually. Responses:-
Q1:
i) I Don't know.
ii) none
iii) What do you mean?
iv) Don't know.

Q2:
i) I don't know
ii) they are too dear and they give you the squits
iii) nurse told me they upset stomach
iv) I just eat what I used to, but don't have sugar anymore. Do they have less sugar? Probably taste like ****.

Q3:
i) i haven't eaten any.
ii) diabetic nurse said not to bother with them. So I haven't.
iii) never had them so that would be nobody.
iv) i have to eat what the family eats.

Q4:
i) don't know
i) suppose it would be easy, but I don't because the nurse said don't bother with them.
iii) neither
iv) just wouldn't go out of my way to buy them. I don't need anything special.

Q5:
i) What are you going on about?
ii) think I already answered that. They give you the squits and not necessary.
iii) can't be @rsed shopping for different food. Nurse said don't need to.
iv) i don't want to eat them.


Seems to me that their responses are somewhat similar to those from forum posts. The questions appear to need tweaking to be less ambiguous. I have become a bit fascinated about just what your research focus will be though, so hope you will keep us updated.

 
QR93 said:
Yes it could but it doesn't. To be more specific in this case, when i mention diabetic labelled foods I am referring to foods (typically confectionary) which are typically lower in sugar, with added sweeteners.
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Just to add to my comments above.

Leaving the argument around artificial sweeteners, the issue with Sorbital and the like are the laxative effects, so it it tasted any good, the payback would be fast-track increased bathroom activities (Ahem.) As those products usually have an

In my observation, about the only consistent, positive recommendation new diagnosed folks are told is to avoid diabetic foods.

It's very strange to do research into what people don't believe in, isn't it? Most research seeks a positive outcome. I can't for the life of me work out what you're learning with even the twice or thrice amended questions. I think you had your consensus by about post 5.
 

I mentioned earlier that I don't believe those on here necessarily represent the general diabetic population. Furthermore, from the information here I've managed to gather beliefs regarding diabetic labeled foods. No study/survey has been done on this topic so either way it will be a good to see the results, and I can find out what most people really think. And yes the consensus was established on the first page haha

But most importantly my project delves into health psychology and is about finding out the cognitive processes that lead to someone doing or not doing a certain behaviour. From this perspective it doesn't matter too much whether most people believe in the behaviour or not as either way I can establish why by undertaking this project. I hope that makes more sense.





Firstly I'd like to thank you very much for taking the time to do wht you did. Much appreciated.

The questions I have asked on here won't be in the questionnaire. The purpose of these open ended questions was so that I could get a discussion going and get open honest answers which I have received. Using these answers I can structure some specific questions. It's a behavioural theory based project so its not strictly to do with what people should and shouldn't be eating but more to do with why they do not or do eat diabetic labeled foods (the behaviour in this case)
 
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Do you have a research question? That would be a good start. Is this your final dissertation? I really do hope it goes well and you keep us informed. Good to know that we could have some influence on a future HCP, and diabetes management.
 
Pipp said:
Do you have a research question? That would be a good start. Is this your final dissertation? I really do hope it goes well and you keep us informed. Good to know that we could have some influence on a future HCP, and diabetes management.
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I have a draft title. It's my elective project which all medical students do in their fourth of fifth (final) year and it can really be in any speciality. This is a big undertaking and a steep learning curve for me so thank you so much to everyone for bearing with me.
 
This whole subject has now got me really thinking....

Vast majority Of people I reckon were told not to eat diabetic food.. By our nurses and doctors . We believed them and probably haven't ate them...

Vast majority of us I reckon were given some other guidance ref eating carbs....prob at every meal... But a lot of us have veered off the GP and Nurse advice on here.. I just wonder more on what gave us the strength and intuition to do this when others so rigidly stick to the HCP advice..

Never really thought on this too much until this question on diabetic food came up...
 
I don't really see many diabetic foods anymore, but I've eaten them in the past.

I treat them as any other food.

So long as they're not full of chemicals, (urgh, sugar free jelly...) they taste good, and they don't spike me, and it's something I want to eat, I see no reason not to include them in my menu.
 

In my case I was sent home having been told that I was diagnosed as diabetic after a test showed that my blood glucose was high. I was also told to eat starchy carbs with every meal.

When I was issued with a meter I used it to find which meals made my blood glucose high since I thought this would please everyone and manage my diabetes more responsibly

Ergo, I have the strength and intuition to go against HCP advice since the HCP advice contains two mutually exclusive requirements which are to keep my levels low and to eat carbs with every meal.
 

So what makes us check the foods and others don't?

What makes us different to go against advice? When others just follow it?

It really started me wondering as it appears the vast majority steered off the diabetic foods but what makes us so passionate about our health to veer off from the HCP advice on low fat etc???
 
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To be fair, I also went low fat to lose weight, as well as low carb and low protein.
I've also always done my own thing though, but from an informed point of view, discussed sensibly, and agreed with my HCP's, who provide very sensible advice.
No confrontation.
 

I have spent a long time working on Change, and I have a very clear notion of why people do stuff. It's actually very, very simple.

What sort of behaviour do you want to work out?
 
AndBreathe said:
I have spent a long time working on Change, and I have a very clear notion of why people do stuff. It's actually very, very simple.

What sort of behaviour do you want to work out?
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Only pre-conceived as simple normally, if you can fit them into labeled boxes.
Most people don't fit if you dig deeper.
I don't like labels though.

What do you think the simple motivation is?
 
SunnyExpat said:
Only pre-conceived as simple normally, if you can fit them into labeled boxes.
Most people don't fit if you dig deeper.
I don't like labels though.

What do you think the simple motivation is?
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The simple fact is it's different for everyone, and will be different for different people at different times in their lives.

I've spent a lot of time, making a lot of money by effecting effective change in organisations, which are only groups of people. I rarely need to ask more than half a dozen questions before I know whether a behavioural or cultural change will be effective.

If course, there are exceptions to every rule.
 
So.the end of the day, it's a very simple answer to why people do stuff?

Simply, a different reason for everyone?

But with exceptions?

Ok.

May not help the op.
 
SunnyExpat said:
So.the end of the day, it's a very simple answer to why people do stuff?

Simply, a different reason for everyone?

But with exceptions?

Ok.

May not help the op.
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Yes, detail of why each person changes is different, but those dozens or hundreds of reasons can be gathered into a few groups, like headline reasons.

I'd have to send you both a ginagerous bill if I told you my commercial secrets. I've always been reassuringly expensive.
 
I'm sure the op will be fine without headlines, and to be fair to him, he asked if you ate diabetic labelled food.
I'm sure we don't need to charge to answer that question.
 
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