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Doctor in the House

Yes Carol43 I have watched each episode of this program and enjoyed them. It'll be interesting to see how the good doctor does this week. I hope you are well. Jan x
 
Hi everyone. This is my first post and I felt I needed to mention last nights 'Doctor' programme. Twice during the show it was suggested that type 2 is a lifestyle choice. Complete nonsense, I don't take kindly to being stereotyped, I was born with diabetes, it's a genetic thing. What lifestyle choices did I have as a foetus. If that silly woman with the takeaways had type2 why had she not seen her GP. What she really had was a slightly raised BG profile bought on by gluttony and reversed by a change of diet. I get fed up with people telling me that I need to start eating more carefully. You will not find a more more frugal and carb aware person than me. Sorry but I just needed to say it and I know that you will understand, thanks Pete.
 
I thought it was not a good programme as far as the woman was concerned. She obviously did not have T2 as she got her HbA1c down to 40 from 59 in a month. She was just eating too many take-aways. I can't remember when I last had a take-away, it must be years but my level was 97 when diagnosed and it's now down to 49 and it's taken me 8 months to achieve this. I thought eating lots of fruit and vegetables was a healthy diet, obviously not. I objected to them saying it was lifestyle choice. Still it's a TV programme but it didn't show Dr Chatterjee in a good light, unfortunately.
 
Hello. I agree with Carol and Pete regarding the doctors remarks about lifestyle choices, I was shouting at tv it made me so cross...! It's just such comments that people latch on to regarding diabetes. Anyway, little rant over...:p Have a great day x
 
I liked it that he mentioned about carbs in supposedly healthy foods like the wholemeal bread.

I didn't think last night's programme was as good as the first one - the first family was, I think, more typical. I just don't know anybody who eats as many takeaways as the family in last night's programme.
 
I thought it was firmly in the stereotypical perception of T2 diabetes and so played nicely into the hands of the "eat **** get T2" crowd.

That said the advice was still sound, remove carbs, particularly processed carbs, go for a walk regularly and generally cook for yourself.

I look back at what I ate and whilst it was generally home cooked, it was basically large portions of carbs (usually rice or pasta) and so from a carbs perspective no better (and possibly worse) than eating MacDonalds 5 times a week...

Also as we keep saying every diabetic is different (and it's good to see the NICE guidelines updated to reflect this), so there will be people who are T2 purely because of takeaway food.

She was lucky in that her body was working as well as it could to process the carbs, and so removing them from her diet had a rapid affect. Lots of us are not that lucky. :)
 
I thought it was excellent. No mention of fats or salt but keep the carbs right down. I believe T2 is very often a life-style choice (sorry to other posters who say otherwise) and many so-called slim T2s are not T2 anyway but mis-diagnosed late onset T1. The fat lady was a T2 even though it was pushed back into remission. Yes, there are genetic implications in getting T2 but that's no excuse to eat the wrong foods and become excessively overweight. So good to see some diet sense coming in to these TV programs.
 
I think it's unfair to tell people Type 2 is down to lifestyle choice, when following the NHS eat well plate would very definitely push me into Type 2 territory from pre-diabetic. I was never overweight but it was starting to creep up by itself and I believe this was due to insulin resistance causing weight gain since my diet didn't really change.
I have lost some weight (as a by product really of going on the low carb high fat way of eating) so now have BMI of 23 and I'm still pre diabetic so with genetic tendency to insulin resistance. Also suffered gestational diabetes despite being young and very slim then.
Good to see a programme that advocates low carb but if it doesn't say what to replace those carbs with or talk about good fats then it's not ideal. At least he mentioned that wholemeal bread has same effect on blood sugar as a snickers bar.
 
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Ah, the good old blame game.

If T2 were a lifestyle choice, then every fat person would get it.
They don't, so it isn't.
Equally, losing weight doesn't always put it into remission.
So it isn't.
End of.

Incidently, did anyone (@Daibell ) see this?
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2015...ing-insulin-resistance-findings-93480726.html

It strongly suggests that there are age related reasons for many T2s, whether they are fat or not.

Unless anyone is suggesting that getting old is a lifestyle choice too?
 
Brunneria said:
Ah, the good old blame game.

If T2 were a lifestyle choice, then every fat person would get it.
They don't, so it isn't.
Equally, losing weight doesn't always put it into remission.
So it isn't.
End of.

Incidently, did anyone (@Daibell ) see this?
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2015...ing-insulin-resistance-findings-93480726.html

It strongly suggests that there are age related reasons for many T2s, whether they are fat or not.

Unless anyone is suggesting that getting old is a lifestyle choice too?
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Hi. I thought the last poster was for you when he/she said 'Go Brunneria' and not against you?

Looking at the article you gave the link to it talks about older, thin people becoming T2. I agree diabetes is not simple but I still maintain that up to 20% of T2s that are known to be thin may not be T2 but Late onset T1; I'm one of those. Many GPs and DNs aren't aware that you can become T1 at any age and this will progress to insulin regardless of diet and tablets. I also agree with another poster who says that the NHS can be blamed for imposing the 'eat loads of carbs' mantra onto T2s. Who can blame those T2s when they have quite rightly followed the medics advice and then their diabetes and weight became worse.
 
carol43 said:
I thought it was not a good programme as far as the woman was concerned. She obviously did not have T2 as she got her HbA1c down to 40 from 59 in a month. She was just eating too many take-aways. I can't remember when I last had a take-away, it must be years but my level was 97 when diagnosed and it's now down to 49 and it's taken me 8 months to achieve this. I thought eating lots of fruit and vegetables was a healthy diet, obviously not. I objected to them saying it was lifestyle choice. Still it's a TV programme but it didn't show Dr Chatterjee in a good light, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I have only scan watched the programme, whilst doing other things, but the lady in question, to achieve an HBa1C score as she did mush have had regularly elevate blood scores. She breached both thresholds for diabetes - the fasting and HbA1c, and again on the repeat diagnostic HbA1c. What was the Doc supposed to conclude?

Had she not been diagnosed, I would have been utterly horrified. There are posters on here who have been vehemently disgusted to find they have had increasing, although non-diabetic range bloods for years before diagnosis. How would they have felt if not diagnosed with scores such as hers?

Quite clearly the lady concernd "got with the programme" and turned her diet around, and continued to do so for the period reported at the end of the programme. The proof of the pudding tends to come when a sufferer stops losing weight and goes into maintenance mode. Whilst one's body is losing, I could be persuaded that it is easier to return great blood work.

That last paragraph isn't passing judgement on anyone. Anyone who makes significant and material improvements to their own health and life in general, is to be applauded and recognised, but the sad and cruel fact is that diabetes isn't usually a quick fix condition. Generally, lifestyle changes need to be maintained to a greater or lesser extent for the very long term, if not life-long. Nobody knows what life events might come along to deflect them from any fantastic work they have done, we just have to do our best, controlling what we can, on a day-to-day basis. Life without bumps in the road would be bland and boring. The bumps in the road are what mould us. I really do hope that lady does well. To have gone on TV and bared her life to the nation; she deserves a few lucky breaks.
 
I found it very upsetting when he said (more than once) that Type 2 is due to lifestyle. I constantly feel that I have to defend myself due to ignorant comments from people. I was not overweight at diagnosis. Unfortunately I have other medical conditions which mean that I have been on constant steroids since around May 2013. I also have a family history of diabetes and had gestational diabetes in the 90's. Two diabetic nurses have told me that I'm not a typical type 2 - but that is the type I am.
 
Lou73 said:
I found it very upsetting when he said (more than once) that Type 2 is due to lifestyle. I constantly feel that I have to defend myself due to ignorant comments from people. I was not overweight at diagnosis. Unfortunately I have other medical conditions which mean that I have been on constant steroids since around May 2013. I also have a family history of diabetes and had gestational diabetes in the 90's. Two diabetic nurses have told me that I'm not a typical type 2 - but that is the type I am.
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Agreed Lou. I am not overweight, and have been if anything underweight for years. I don't drink much either. The "cause" was steroids post transplant (Prednisolone). No steroids - no diabetes (and I don't accept that I was predisposed; that's convenient doctors explanations..."it would have happened later anyway" stuff...). That said, it's reassuring to see the low carb diet emphasised on TV as this programme has done. Can I ask what you medical condition is/was?
 
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma IBS. Lots of medications, including the steroids. I've had an infusion of medication today, which meant a steroid infusion first so sugars are high again.
 
Hmm. I wonder if it would be worth writing to the good doc, via the Beeb, to point this out? Maybe make him aware of the presence of this forum and not just the DUK site? In all honestly, yes, I was disappointed to hear what he said about T2, but he is like a breath of fresh air compared to all the usual **** they come out with. At least he pointed out that the brown bread/rice carbs were no better really, and would still affect the bg's.
 
Lou73 said:
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma IBS. Lots of medications, including the steroids. I've had an infusion of medication today, which meant a steroid infusion first so sugars are high again.
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It is hard to keep levels predictable or controlled when all these other meds bounce us around, eh? Hard to reverse anything if we need to stay on some stuff for life. Still, I'm not done trying to do that anyway, you? I hope sugars drop a bit soon.
 
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