Should we be more vocal?

[SunnyExpat]

That's great for you, but many other struggle with it because of poor information, social pressure, emotional pressure, and many other things. It would not hurt to be more sympathetic to people who find it more challenging than you do surely?

It is a struggle.
I'm sure any Diabetes charity also realises it is a struggle.

What would you have them do to improve the lot of diabetics, without having them accept it is always going to be a struggle?
Is there any way to improve, without accepting changes have to be made?

 

[SunnyExpat]

Then again, if we say we have it bad.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34153136

What will happen when costs spiral even higher?

 

[andcol]

I was lucky having a great GP, he started doing glucose tolerance tests every year as I was 40.After a few years it was obvious, that the tests results worsened and that the line was moving up and he showed me on a diagram the point where he is expecting me to be diabetic T2. Nothing we could do about, I had healthy nutrition and no overweight. The overweight came as I was pre diabetic/diabetic. So I wasn't fat and caused my diabetes as a natural follow up of being big.

So what you are saying is the insulin resistance drove the weight gain. I think this is true for most. The initial insulin resistance could have many causes.but generally caused by our genes and carb stress from today's standard diet.

 

[donnellysdogs]

The thing is though is to encourage people to look at their diets /lifestyles/ exercise etc before they get ill....

No matter whether people get diabetes or heart problems or other things. My hubby was told quite strongly by a private consultant operating on his knee to lose weight.. He did.. But only by being told by a consultant. He never went to GPs until his leg was playing up. He just made excuses. He knew he was overweight but he never listened to me telling him.

Something needs to be done besides getting illnesses as a whole.. Not just diabetes..

Why do tbe vast majority of humans now rely upon tablets and medicines rather than changing their diets.

Sure not all diseases are down to diets... But people with coeliac and crohns etc have to adjyst their diets so why is their so much trouble with changing advice for the rest of the population?

Is it that certain food really has become addictive?

 

[SunnyExpat]

The thing is though is to encourage people to look at their diets /lifestyles/ exercise etc before they get ill....

No matter whether people get diabetes or heart problems or other things. My hubby was told quite strongly by a private consultant operating on his knee to lose weight.. He did.. But only by being told by a consultant. He never went to GPs until his leg was playing up. He just made excuses. He knew he was overweight but he never listened to me telling him.

Something needs to be done besides getting illnesses as a whole.. Not just diabetes..

Why do tbe vast majority of humans now rely upon tablets and medicines rather than changing their diets.

Sure not all diseases are down to diets... But people with coeliac and crohns etc have to adjyst their diets so why is their so much trouble with changing advice for the rest of the population?

Is it that certain food really has become addictive?

Yes.
But not entirely because of the taste or effect.
Just it's easy.
And it's cheap.
After a busy day, everyone working, it's easy to load a cheap meal into the microwave.
It's easy to eat crisps in front of the tv.
It's easy to get gravel down over the garden, and park the car on it.
When you're bored, it's easy to fill by by munching on biscuits.

The last is my killer, when I'm not moving, boredom creeps in, and the nibbles wave at me.
I'm not hungry, I don't need them, I'm just passing the evening.
Then the next danger is passing the time with a drink or two instead.
Another thing to watch for, for me.
Spirits, wine, too cheap to say no to if you're not careful.

 

[Spiker]

What would you have them do to improve the lot of diabetics, without having them accept it is always going to be a struggle?
Is there any way to improve, without accepting changes have to be made?

There is plenty to be done to make it less of a struggle and to improve the results of the struggle, and foremost amongst that is getting the right information and education out there, and combatting negative stereotypes. Now that is exactly what the charity should be doing. Instead, DUK is a dead and decomposing whale, floating around doing nothing despite a huge asset base, good income, and the ear of both government and the media. Contrast this with the JDRF which does fantastic work.

The irony is DUK was started by diabetics and concerned medics and was originally a great, effective organisation. It has completely lost its way now. The entire time I've been diabetic, from my first issue of Balance I was given on diagnosis, DUK has been a total waste of space. I was a paying member for a while but they did nothing for me. Held me back in fact.

 

[AndBreathe]

I really think we need to avoid implying or saying that T2s have caused their condition. Prof Taylor's ground breaking work shows this is simply not true. Obesity may show itself before frank T2 is detected but that doesn't mean it's the cause. It could be considered a warning sign.

T2 is caused by selective deposition of fat in the liver - and this occurs at culturally normal calorie intake. This liver fat deposition increases insulin resistance. In turn the insulin resistance increases liver fat deposition and creates a runaway spiral. Obesity is often, but not invariably, a consequence.

T2 may well be aggravated or a higher risk with people who have an addictive or bad relationship with food. But we can't conclude that T2 is in some way self inflicted. Particularly when the public health information that people get on the subject is so wrong. People are told to cut fat and eat carbs. Nothing could be more guaranteed to promote T2. Carbs raise insulin and raised insulin causes fat deposition.

Luckily the spiral is reversible, as Prof Taylor has shown. There is absolutely no better way to prove the etiology of a disease than to be able to reverse it. That's worth a hundred prospective population studies or a thousand lab studies.

Spiker - If I could multiple like your post, I would. I may just copy it to use again, and again, and again. I mean, otthers do it don't they?

 

[DawnPhenomenon]

The thing is though is to encourage people to look at their diets /lifestyles/ exercise etc before they get ill....

No matter whether people get diabetes or heart problems or other things. My hubby was told quite strongly by a private consultant operating on his knee to lose weight.. He did.. But only by being told by a consultant. He never went to GPs until his leg was playing up. He just made excuses. He knew he was overweight but he never listened to me telling him.

Something needs to be done besides getting illnesses as a whole.. Not just diabetes..

Why do tbe vast majority of humans now rely upon tablets and medicines rather than changing their diets.

Sure not all diseases are down to diets... But people with coeliac and crohns etc have to adjyst their diets so why is their so much trouble with changing advice for the rest of the population?

Is it that certain food really has become addictive?

We are all too wealthy and we eat too much. it's not about blame, it's about facing facts. The 'baby boomers' have reached retirement age. They were nurtured on a rich blend of cows milk and sugar (breast feeding being none too popular) a goo which was eventually deemed too unhealthy for babies in this country. A taste for life?

Not only are we encouraged to eat dairy we are told it is essential for a healthy diet. Really? How can that possibly be the case? Some of the most unhealthy food is a concoction of dairy and sugar - and it's addictive.

The pressures come from all sides, the taste for rich foods, advertising, dietary advice, health advice, availability of food. Socialising often around food. We celebrate, commiserate with food. We bestow our love with food (often of the worst kind). Christmas dinners, Easter diners, wedding breakfasts etc etc Food, food, food.

We can live life without leaving the house. It's difficult to eat well and to exercise. Its really hard to just do the obviously right thing. A psychologist friend calls it SELF SABOTAGE.

 

[AndBreathe]

The thing is though is to encourage people to look at their diets /lifestyles/ exercise etc before they get ill....

No matter whether people get diabetes or heart problems or other things. My hubby was told quite strongly by a private consultant operating on his knee to lose weight.. He did.. But only by being told by a consultant. He never went to GPs until his leg was playing up. He just made excuses. He knew he was overweight but he never listened to me telling him.

Something needs to be done besides getting illnesses as a whole.. Not just diabetes..

Why do tbe vast majority of humans now rely upon tablets and medicines rather than changing their diets.

Sure not all diseases are down to diets... But people with coeliac and crohns etc have to adjyst their diets so why is their so much trouble with changing advice for the rest of the population?

Is it that certain food really has become addictive?

DD, I've said a million times, that people will only take action to change when they have an answer a clear answer to the "What's in it for me?" question.

In your husband's case probably just being a bit healthier wasn't a big enough reason, but getting himself pain-free (i.e. an immediate and actual return on his effort, rather than a possible return at an indeterminate time in the future) was clear and beneficial enough to make the change.

That's why so many people, given a pre-diabetes diagnosis do nothing about it. To be clear, that's not an insult to those individuals, just understanding why many do nothing.

We can educate all we want, but unless the motivation is clear and immediate change rarely occurs and even more rarely is it sustained. Such is human nature.

 

[donnellysdogs]

DD, I've said a million times, that people will only take action to change when they have an answer a clear answer to the "What's in it for me?" question.

In your husband's case probably just being a bit healthier wasn't a big enough reason, but getting himself pain-free (i.e. an immediate and actual return on his effort, rather than a possible return at an indeterminate time in the future) was clear and beneficial enough to make the change.

That's why so many people, given a pre-diabetes diagnosis do nothing about it. To be clear, that's not an insult to those individuals, just understanding why many do nothing.

We can educate all we want, but unless the motivation is clear and immediate change rarely occurs and even more rarely is it sustained. Such is human nature.

Just wish there was a way to change human nature to be honest.

To be honest it hurts me that I have struggled to do my best to keep good health for 30yrs as a T1. I've kept myself lean and as fit as I can. I haven't been rich or greedy or been someone that chucks out food etc. Even with hubby.. His extra weight was gained from bingeing **** away from me, at work etc. He changed more so now because he sees me struggle with being able to eat the same as everyone else due to my stomach. Sometimes it just hurts to see what the human race has evolved to. Starving people in some countries dying because of lack of food etc and the rest of the human race killing themselves.

I'm not blaming anyone etc but I just fimd it incredibly sad sometimes that the human race is meant to be clever and we're not really. To me rats are more clever than us.. They scavenge waste and they've multiplied and multiplied!! They haven't got many enemies besides himans for experiments...and they live on waste!!

 

[Robinredbreast]

Yes.
But not entirely because of the taste or effect.
Just it's easy.
And it's cheap.
After a busy day, everyone working, it's easy to load a cheap meal into the microwave.
It's easy to eat crisps in front of the tv.
It's easy to get gravel down over the garden, and park the car on it.
When you're bored, it's easy to fill by by munching on biscuits.

The last is my killer, when I'm not moving, boredom creeps in, and the nibbles wave at me.
I'm not hungry, I don't need them, I'm just passing the evening.
Then the next danger is passing the time with a drink or two instead.
Another thing to watch for, for me.
Spirits, wine, too cheap to say no to if you're not careful.

I don't drink, even if a bottle of wine or spirits were 50p a bottle, I wouldn't, gave up smoking over 5 years agioand don't have nibbles ( of any sort ) boredom, yes at times, but I wont ever give in to snacking or drinking because of being bored, I can read a book or come on the forum

 

[Spiker]

Spiker - If I could multiple like your post, I would. I may just copy it to use again, and again, and again. I mean, otthers do it don't they?

You are entirely welcome, and thank you!

 

[TooMuchGlucose]

I don't drink, even if a bottle of wine or spirits were 50p a bottle, I wouldn't, gave up smoking over 5 years agioand don't have nibbles ( of any sort ) boredom, yes at times, but I wont ever give in to snacking or drinking because of being bored, I can read a book or come on the forum

I'm exactly the same, gave up smoking and drinking since being diagnosed. They're both expensive and bad for your health, alcohol is worse because it plays hell with blood sugar as well as making it so easy to put on weight.

 

[SunnyExpat]

I'm exactly the same, gave up smoking and drinking since being diagnosed. They're both expensive and bad for your health, alcohol is worse because it plays hell with blood sugar as well as making it so easy to put on weight.

Definitely puts on the weight for me.
But I can also buy it at a euro a bottle

 

[DawnPhenomenon]

Just wish there was a way to change human nature to be honest.

To be honest it hurts me that I have struggled to do my best to keep good health for 30yrs as a T1. I've kept myself lean and as fit as I can. I haven't been rich or greedy or been someone that chucks out food etc. Even with hubby.. His extra weight was gained from bingeing **** away from me, at work etc. He changed more so now because he sees me struggle with being able to eat the same as everyone else due to my stomach. Sometimes it just hurts to see what the human race has evolved to. Starving people in some countries dying because of lack of food etc and the rest of the human race killing themselves.

I'm not blaming anyone etc but I just fimd it incredibly sad sometimes that the human race is meant to be clever and we're not really. To me rats are more clever than us.. They scavenge waste and they've multiplied and multiplied!! They haven't got many enemies besides himans for experiments...and they live on waste!!

We are animals and in our natural state there often won't enough to eat so we ate when we could. in this country we have more than enough to eat so we have to fight the most basic of urges - to eat whatever we can when we can.

Just wish there was a way to change human nature to be honest.

To be honest it hurts me that I have struggled to do my best to keep good health for 30yrs as a T1. I've kept myself lean and as fit as I can. I haven't been rich or greedy or been someone that chucks out food etc. Even with hubby.. His extra weight was gained from bingeing **** away from me, at work etc. He changed more so now because he sees me struggle with being able to eat the same as everyone else due to my stomach. Sometimes it just hurts to see what the human race has evolved to. Starving people in some countries dying because of lack of food etc and the rest of the human race killing themselves.

I'm not blaming anyone etc but I just fimd it incredibly sad sometimes that the human race is meant to be clever and we're not really. To me rats are more clever than us.. They scavenge waste and they've multiplied and multiplied!! They haven't got many enemies besides himans for experiments...and they live on waste!!

it sounds as though you have managed your health for 30 years and you should congratulate yourself.

Humans are animals and it's natural to eat when there is food (we can store food as fat because in the natural world there is often too little food and we need our fat to survive through the lean times). It's natural to want to eat more calories than we can use. Along with all the other pressures regarding eating is the basic instinct to eat what we can when we can.

Disputes are sad, wars are sad, crimes are sad, not caring for others is sad but thats just one side of life. Look up and you see the stars

 

[sd29]

Heaven forbid people with a chronic health condition divert attention from poorly thought out PFIs, gross mismanagement and a lack of common sense. We are an epidemic, and we've brought this on ourselves.

I hang my head in shame.