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"You don't look like a Type 2 diabetic"

 
sunflower27 said:
"You don't look like a Type 2 diabetic"
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Of the 20 people on the diabetics course I attended at least 2/3 were noticeably obese. I suspect a high proportion of type 2's in general are over weight so it is not surprising that people make that assumption. The doctor said it to me at diagnosis but I didn't find it offensive. If he had said " you look like a typical type 2" - that would have been offensive!
 

Aren't the medical profession supposed to be non- judgemental, caring and with empathy.................. doesn't seem to be so much now, maybe bring back the Dr Finlay's and Dr Kildare's ?
 
dbr10 said:
What doctor reads the notes?
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Some do, my diabetes hospital consultant did when I had an accident and was sympathetic and caring too ( wish I didn't of had the accident) but it seemed to have brought out a very caring side, at that time
 
Hi @sunflower27 - my thyroid is borderline underactive now - it was finally resolved about 15 years ago with radioactive iodine after years of yo-yoing with meds. I was allergic to carbimazole so went on to propylthiouracil. Sometimes the thyroid returns to normal after medication, but unfortunately mine didn't until I took the RAI. The pills helped to start with, I think it took a couple of months to feel more like myself, but then my levels kept fluctuating. As your thyroid controls your whole metabolism it certainly does make you feel out of kilter with lots of strange symptoms such as sweaty hands, feeling hot generally, feeling anxious and dreadful insommnia - hand tremors too. I do sometimes wonder if my pancreas was worn out under pressure and lead to my diabetes diagnosis later. Anyway I do hope yours resolves itself - but do bear in mind it is how you feel in yourself. TSH function tests might show that you are in the normal range - but 'normal' covers quite a large range and your 'normal' may be anywhere within it.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Of the 20 people on the diabetics course I attended at least 2/3 were noticeably obese.
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The general population IS noticeably obese.

https://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/adult_obesity/UK_prevalence_and_trends

http://www.epicentro.iss.it/passi/dati/sovrappeso.asp https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db219.pdf

If you factor in that type 2 diabetics are normally older people and that oberisy is more prevalent on people over 40 I suppose that it could be an explanation.

The other explanation is of course that there's correlation with weight gain and obesity and diabetes onset, due the fact impaired glucose tolerance makes you hungry...
 
Dr Atkins was not a dietician - his way of eating was devised to treat people who were suffering with various conditions and the weightloss was almost incidental to the treatment.
It is perfectly possible to maintain weight on Atkins, - presumably someone who is insulin resistant would become less so and tend to put on weight if they followed the instructions in Dr A's New Diet Revolution.
It is possible to stay eating low carb foods for decades and feel absolutely fine - even if one is diabetic and not diagnosed. I was only found out because I gave in - again - and tried to lower cholesterol on a medically approved diet. Total failure, by the way.
 
As others have said it is rather disappointing that an Endo would assume the stereotype, but encouraging that they advise low carbs.

And the fact remains that over 80% of T2's are overweight or obese at diagnosis and its highly unusual for a well controlled T2 to be referred to an Endo anyway, most T2's dont get near an Endo. So statistically the majority of his/her T2 patients would overweight and badly controlled.

Therefore you should look on this as a flattering mistake, I know would...
 
sunflower27 said:
What is a T2 diabetic supposed to look like?
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I know what my endocrinologist thought, he was wrong then (20 years ago) and he's wrong now. We all make generalisations but it's fair to say, people in that position shouldn't.
 
To some extent I go along with the endo (sorry about that!). Perhaps he shouldn't have thought out loud but it's a fact that the majority of T2s have some excess weight and I assume he saw you as slim and was thinking LADA. If so that's good as I wish my diabetes GP had spotted that I was slim and not stared at his PC screen. I appreciate you have a thyroid condition which may affect the diagnosis, but have you had tests to exclude LADA? I agree with the other poster that reducing your carbs should not affect your weight as long as you have enough proteins and carbs. Also, eating fat doesn't make you fat or clog the arteries as most of the cholesterol we have in our bodies is produced by the liver and not affected much by the fat we eat.
 
I get exactly the same response when I mention to someone that I have diabetes , they automatically presume I'm type 1 as I am not overweight. The media I think is to blame for labeling all type 2's fat and couch potatoes !
 
I just keep 'em guessing...
I had the same issues over my sexuality when I was a kid. (Some assumed I was a girl.) in my teens it was my "orientation."
Now I'm in "middle age"....? & dealing with more NHS nurses & docs..?!

Let em learn on their own terms.

My dad was a slim T2.
 
Unless you want to be further annoyed don't listen to today's Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2. We've got Type 2 because we don't walk, doncha know
 
PattiT said:
Unless you want to be further annoyed don't listen to today's Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2. We've got Type 2 because we don't walk, doncha know
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Have to admit I was a little annoyed listening to the show particularly when they spoke to a T2 who was overweight, drank, ate 6 packets of Quavers a day and was on various tablets - he really reinforced the stereotype!
 
PattiT said:
Unless you want to be further annoyed don't listen to today's Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2. We've got Type 2 because we don't walk, doncha know
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grrrrr. So annoying, but it keeps non-diabetics happy because then they can think it will never happen to them...
 
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