Rename Type 1 Diabetes

AT first when looking at your post, I thought nah what's they on about??? Stupid

But I have taken a look at the link to thread on facebook, and there were some interesting and valid comments made by some of the youngsters that have joined...

Having been a T1 for many years, I can see where they are coming from as yes how were are precieved, the igorance of joe public has changed quite a bit over the years.. When I first became a T1 joe public was just basically igorant due to not knowing anything about the condition so just a lack of uderstanding..

I thought that much of the ingorance and misspreceptions that I had were just because I was getting older and starting to belong to the age group where T2 started to develope for some and this is where the mix up comes grom in the main! But alas looking at the comments from the younger diabetics, I am wrong they face the same ingorance as I do... T2 basically giving the T1 a bad name!

Well said lovinglife
We need to educate people that diabetes is not caused by gluttony, regardless of whatever type diabetes it is.

Yes 80% of type 2's are overweight but only 20% of overweight people are diabetics. My own type 2 was caused by long term steroid use for a combination of respiratory conditions.

Changing the 'name' of T1 to something else would just widen the us and them divide, its bad enoughthat we argue about diets on a seemingly daily basis.

Quite honestly I dont care what type of diabetes you have or what you do or dont eat. Just be well.

Perhaps Type 2's need to be taken as seriously as Type 1's? A divide is not something that needs to be considered surely? We all have a chronic disease and how we got here isn't going to make a lot of difference. I have heard Type 2 called, self inflicted, a mild form of diabetes, over-consumption of sugar, I could go on. Empathy starts here and we really get enough stick without it dividing this topic. Do we really need to hang our heads in shame? I, for one, am not prepared to do that.
I thought the principle here was to help each other and we cannot do that if some participants feel that their diabetes is worse than someone else's.

Amanda Jane Mills reply on that facebook

I totally agree, I'm 35 and have been a TYPE 1 diabetic for 23 years, and I always make a point of telling ppl who ask, that its type 1, and I tell them the difference too - I didn't get it thru being a slob - I had no choice!!

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How dare she assume that all T2's are slobs :x :x :x

I've read your facebook page, I refuse to join facebook so I've put my comment here.
I spent the first year after getting diabetes pointing out the difference to anyone who would listen. As I wasn't a child when I got type 1 it (I was 54), even those people who knew something about diabetes assumed type 2.
The first person I met the day I came out of hospital after diagnosis said to me 'Oh you must have been eating too much of our good French food.' I was stick thin with an 'underweight' BMI. That really upset me. I've even had to esplain to other doctors that it is posible to get it at any age.

But there are big problems . if we renamed type 1, what would we call all those other types of diabetes, for example MODY, or diabetes caused by other conditions. What about the person or even child who presents with both insulin resistance and insulin deficiency?
Reading the page I fell that many of the contributors know little about type 2. Type 1s are blameless, type 2s brought it on themselves because of their lifestyle . This is simplistic and not necessarily true. Type 2 is associated with being overweight in 8 out of 10 of cases, but the other 2 out of 10 are not overweight . As to the causes of type 2, well it certainly isn't clear what causes it.

I think we need to better explain type 1, rather than rename it. If you explain it to people, then they'll hopefully understand it better.

If you rename it, then you'll have to expain the new name of what you're about to explain, then try and explain the fact that the old thing that now has the aforementioned new name is not the same as the second type of old thing which use to share the old name of what has now been newly renamed.

By which time, nobody will quite be sure who's got what wrong with them or why.

Good point Timo (I think) :lol: :lol: :lol:

:? :? :?
Graham

If T1s don’t like the way they are treated when others assume that they are T2 and brought it all on themselves then they should try imagining what it is like being a T2 all the time with the thought in mind that some of us got diabetes as a result of other illnesses and are not fat.

It seems to me that we should be re-educating everyone not renaming anything. I did laugh at Timo’s description and think he has a valid point. :lol:

I did not laugh at poor Amanda Jane’s version of things and she is showing her ignorance every time she gives her point of view. I think also that very few of us could truly be described as slobs and only someone rude would actually do so. :shock:

Why on earth can’t we all give mutual support and respect since none of us are volunteers for what is wrong with us and would surely opt out if it was possible. :?

As the medical problem behind type 1 and type is different, it would make sense.

Type 1 - inability to produce insulin
Type 2 - resistance to insulin

I understand it might not be as clear cut as that, but it would seem to call both conditions one "global" name is not helping either camp.

As for public perception, well, there will always be ignorant people who know nothing about either or both types and result in poor attitudes towards diabetics, if that is the main reason for changing the name then it isn't going to help.

I'm definitely for explaining the difference (which is quite simple really but nonetheless significant) between the various types to ignorant people, rather than renaming and causing further confusion? Besides which I don't really give a monkey's posterior what other people choose to think about me based purely on their lack of knowledge. And neither should you!

:cry: :cry:

I think they should BOTH be renamed. They are 2 completely different conditions - absolute polar opposites!

Diabetes was named in ancient times, when it was recognised as having symptoms of passing excessive and sweet-tasting urine.( yes they DID taste it! :shock: )
Renaming it is a nonsense especially if T1s are going to be joining in the blame game.
I'm T2, I wish I weren't. I am overweight, but it's not my choice. I have struggled with my weight all my adult life and it never gets easier. I have never made a habit of eating fast food,In fact, I'm old enough that the only fast food available when I was young was Fish and Chips and that was very much a special treat, a couple of times per year.
Ok I know the cause of T1 is still unknown, but T1s joining in blaming T2s for their condition and making out they are in some way superior is unacceptable from those who ought to know better.
Hana

suffolkboi61 said:

Amanda Jane Mills reply on that facebook

I totally agree, I'm 35 and have been a TYPE 1 diabetic for 23 years, and I always make a point of telling ppl who ask, that its type 1, and I tell them the difference too - I didn't get it thru being a slob - I had no choice!!

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How dare she assume that all T2's are slobs :x :x :x

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Unfortunately, it's not neccessarily an unfair judgement. Of course there will be exceptions, there are to every rule, but you try telling me the vast majority of type 2s aren't slobs when I see the people who I see in my clinic every time I pay it a visit? That's a tough sell.

Around 85-90% of the people in my clinic are obviously a fair bit over 15 stone, and they're not built like Johnny Wilkinson either. These are people who aren't just obese, they look obviously ill for it - sallow skin, dead eyes, they move slowly and awkwardly. Sometimes, when passing open doors, I hear the same conversation again and again - bad diet, junk food, no fruit or veg, no exercise.

Sucks for the type2s who get tarred with this brush, but it's an unfortunate truth; at least from my experience.

On occasion, I've also had to explain the difference between type 1 and type 2 due to people not knowing the difference. It's interesting that once or twice I've had the question of why they're given the same name, so I've joined this group. I don't think it's an unfair idea. Type 1 is far more dangerous than type 2, essentially lethal in a month sans insulin. So it probably should ahve a different name.

UPB said:

Unfortunately, it's not neccessarily an unfair judgement.

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That's a very prejudiced statement. VERY. What we need to change is the perception that Type 2's become Type 2 through this "lifestyle". It goes back to the statement made earlier in the thread:

80% of Type 2's are overweight, BUT
only 20% of overweight people are diabetic

That leaves a MASSIVE number of overweight people (slobs, I'm sure you'd call them...) that do not develop diabetes.

We're lookingthrough the wrong end of the microscope!

That Facebook site just goes to show that people with Type 1 diabetes can be just as nasty and misinformed as those without when it comes to attitudes to Type 2. There are some pretty hateful comments.

Patch said:

UPB said:

Unfortunately, it's not neccessarily an unfair judgement.

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That's a very prejudiced statement. VERY. What we need to change is the perception that Type 2's become Type 2 through this "lifestyle". It goes back to the statement made earlier in the thread:

80% of Type 2's are overweight, BUT
only 20% of overweight people are diabetic

That leaves a MASSIVE number of overweight people (slobs, I'm sure you'd call them...) that do not develop diabetes.

We're lookingthrough the wrong end of the microscope!

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All that means is that 4 out of 5 type2s are an unhealthy weight. And that of all the people of an unhealthy weight in the country, 1 in 5 have pancreatic systems that have already been put under too much pressure.

I don't quite see what you're getting at. Are you saying that type2 diabetes is definitely not related to weight because 4 out of 5 overweight people don't have type2? Is it the just a horrible coincidence that 4 out of 5 type2s ARE an unhealthy weight?

Nobody's saying that all type2 diabetics are slobs, or that to be a slob is to be diabetic. You might not be, but the next four people sitting next to you in your clinic are at least overweight, if not seriously unhealthy. Myself? I was the healthiest I've ever been the summer before I was diagnosed. But BANG! There it is.

If the two diseases have such different causes and such different rates of progress; If type 2 can be explained in the majority of cases and type 1 cannot; and if all they have in common are symptoms, why shouldn't they be given different names?

Also, I'd like to put forth the issue that if everyone on this forum stopped taking their meds, all of the type 1 diabetics would be dead in a month - 6 weeks. How many of the type2s would be? No matter what way you cut it, it's not as serious a disease. I've never really come accross a type2 who has properly apprecaited that fact.

Put it this way, I'd trade my disease for yours. In a heartbeat. That says to me that they're really not the same. So why shouldn't they have a different name?