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I wish they'd stop with the lifestyle line

Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
I was just listening to my news just now and they're talking about how they're helping Type 1 kids with this new program run by an institute here. It sounded great for them and their families as they teach them about food, etc. They end the story with Type 1 is often misunderstood as it is a genetic auto immune disorder unlike type 2 which can be caused by lifestyle choices. I'm thinking are they saying Type 2 isn't genetic then? Well that's nice... just continue to bang on about type 2 is a lifestyle disease again. lol. I really wish they would add lines like "type 2 has a number of precursors, and lifestyle may be one of them" instead of wording it so the public just thinks it is caused by lifestyle only. For those of us that had numerous precursors including another hormone condition we have to explain ourselves all the time to people. Of course I have to explain I'm not type 1 every time someone finds out I'm on insulin. So I think when it comes to education there's a lot people don't know about types in general. But lumping everyone in one bucket by the media has to stop. Ok rant over. lol.
 
Oh I know. After that Panorama programme was broadcast in the UK on Monday night, my boss was frothing at the mouth about all the "lazy, thoughtless people" on the programme, completely forgetting that I am a Type 2 myself. When I reminded him of this fact, he told me I was different because I was looking after myself. I replied, calmly, that this may be the case, but I am still stigmatised as the result of such sloppy journalism and that people would judge me as having f*cked up in some way.

He grudgingly took my point.
 
My family thought I was type 1 because I'm on insulin. When I reminded them I'm type 2 they said oh isn't that the lifestyle disease? I said no actually it's not, that's just one of the risk factors. I did get a bit hot under the collar with them as they were quite rude with me about it saying that if the media says it then it must be right. Of course they've watched me with my weight fluctuating over the years. I've been slim and overweight, slim and overweight, like a yo-yo. But now I'm overweight again and just seem to be staying that way after some med adjustments I've had. They also asked me how can you have type 2 as you eat healthy? I remember thinking for goodness sake I don't have to tell you everything about my health (eg. polycystic ovarian syndrome... that's really girls stuff and not for the men in my family to hear as far as I'm concerned). I don't mind sharing my medical stuff on medical forums like this as it helps that others know what I'm dealing with and I can make connections with others who have the same stuff as me as well. But as it turns out one of them got diagnosed with gestational diabetes about a year later and she gave me an apology for what she said after she was told what the precursors were for type 2 which includes gestational diabetes. They also keep thinking my great aunt is type 1 but she's not.... lifestyle was not a precursor for her at all. My mother has type 2 as well and she is also very slim. There's other family members who have it as well... again they're all slim. I'm the only overweight one in my family alive at this time (there were some previously but they died).
 
A nurse a a private hospital recently said, "You don't present as a typical type 2." This is because I have a BMI of 22.2 and have never been overweight. What hope?
 
I understand your frustration. But you don't actually have to explain yourself to anyone. Just say, "Unfortunately, so many people are completely ignorant when it comes to diabetes".
 
Reactions: Mep
Stupid man.
 
Reactions: Mep
Next time someone dies in a car crash, perhaps we should remind everyone that driving a car is a lifestyle choice too? Pratts.
 
There's nothing worse than "getting tarred with the same brush". Even though 87% of type 2 diabetics in Scotland are overweight or obese, it's a health fact that cannot be solely attributed to the development of the condition. It certainly is a dominating factor in a lot of cases for having type 2 diabetes, but as a result - casts a huge shadow over other potential causes.

Note that 62% of type 1 diabetics in Scotland are also overweight or obese. That is a figure that I can as good as guarantee will never be heard in any mainstream media coverage about diabetes. The world still believes that type 2 diabetics are fat and type 1 diabetics are not. Simply not the case

Grant
 
There is a large proportion of T2s that are caused by hyperinsulinaemia.
Then having insulin resistance, then obesity, then T2!

If everyone had a test for the excess insulin before the diabetes, that would be a huge benefit to the NHS!
The drawbacks are the expense for the test.
 
dbr10 said:
I understand your frustration. But you don't actually have to explain yourself to anyone. Just say, "Unfortunately, so many people are completely ignorant when it comes to diabetes".
Click to expand...
....and you can't argue with ignorance
 
MarkE said:
Next time someone dies in a car crash, perhaps we should remind everyone that driving a car is a lifestyle choice too? Pratts.
Click to expand...
You are spot on. I wonder if the nhs will start demonizing all road accident costs. Well ones not covered under the motor insurance. It has and always will just boil down to money!
Bad press due to costs to nhs and pure ignorance.
My precursers are burst appendix, bell's palsy, underactive thyroid, pcos and inflammation. I'm not surprised my metabolic system broke down!
 
Only once my friend reduced her insulin to lose weight did she start going blind and her kidneys failed, the first time. Her organ donated kidneys are failing too. But hay ho shes slim.
 
There's loads of lifestyle choices that lead to disease or disability, it's weird that some of them are seen as our own fault, while others are fine.

If you're off work a lot for having diabetes, you'll find that they'll haul you up before HR and discuss improvements you can make to prevent these days off and treated like a schoolchild, but if you have lots of days off through injury playing football when you're actually too old, well that's fine. If you stupidly don't get the free flu vaccine the company offers when there's no good reason other than you're too lazy, scared of needles or believe in conspiracy theories and get flu, it's fine if you're off work for a week. Even smokers don't seem to get blamed for the self-inflicted illnesses they get.

I freely admit I was over-weight when I was diagnosed. There was a history of type 2 in my family - mother, father, one grandmother all had it, but I just thought I was too young (mid-40s and not that overweight). But what happens when you're diagnosed - they don't give you any real help on real diet and exercise.
 
yeh here in Australia the lifestyle precursor apparently is one of the causes in about 58% of T2 cases. So yeh I get that it is a big risk factor, but it isn't the only risk factor. As you all here have mentioned you tend to have more than one precursor to getting T2. At the time of diagnosis for me I would've had at least 3 precursors. What I did find interesting is that my endo explained to me once you get one hormone condition, you're at high risk of other symptoms from hormones not functioning correctly... hence other diseases. Eg. I was told I had PCOS first and that lead to me being diagnosed with "mature onset diabetes (previous T2 name)" at the age of 25. I felt kind of odd having a label of "mature onset diabetes". When I was diagnosed they were telling me I'm too young to have the disease as well as it was supposed to only develop in people over 40. We now know that T2 can develop at any age.
 
When I told my endocrinologist (who I see for two hormone issues pcos and prolactinoma) that I had finally tipped over into t2, he shrugged and said 'well, we knew it was going to happen.'

I reckon my low carb lifestyle delayed it for a couple of decades.
 

Hello Chris, Sam's Dad. Lucky Sam. I've read your numbers. I was diagnosed on 30 September this year, so have just started the LCHF programme, so far so good. I aspire to your numbers. Blooming well done. You should be very happy with yourself. I hope my numbers look anywhere near as good as yours in the coming months

Cally
 
It cannot be said often enough that the weight is not usually the first thing to happen. The metabolic malfunction that eventually causes T2 is often also the CAUSE of the weight not the product of it. The hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance feedback loop usually comes first but because no one is tested until things are seriously wrong everyone assumes the weight caused it. GRRRRRR frustrating
 
I might prove a point in having bariatric surgery to prove my weight isn't the cause of my diabetes. Afterall, if I get in remission they'll say "ah, weight caused her diabetes, if no remission just need less insulin due to weight ratio on insulin affectiveness, they'll say " oh maybe hormonal after all". What an expensive way to make the nhs see they are often wrong.
Maybe all my joint pains will evaporate too, arthritis must be a lifestyle choice too. Really?
Since I was small (4yr old) I've heard that weight stops you getting pregnant. So why does some overweight people fall pregnant.? Weight is used as an excuse when they don't know the answers.
Stress caused my problems. Stress of living with an alcoholic dad and an arguementative mother who manipulated everyone around her finger. (Only girl after her sister died tragically). Kids see more than you think. Bauld patch at 12yr old due to stress, underactive thyroid through stress. Uncontrolled diabetes after 72hr week work and shift work. All stresses on your body. My mind has always been stronger than my body. I expect a lot from it, always have.
Even the ardious of bodies can only take so much punishment.before it breaks, irrespective of diet.
 
I detest the media in almost every form. The ignorance that is shown by them never ends and a lot of people just believe what they are told without ever questioning it.

Some people are like machines just waiting to be programmed, and the media know it.
 
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