Panorama issues apology for type 1 diabetes error

The BBC documentary series Panorama has apologised for mistakenly reporting that type 1 diabetes is “the type you’re born with”.
Last week’s episode, broadcast on Monday 3 October, focused on the rise in cases of type 2 diabetes, titled “Diabetes: The Hidden Killer”.
At one point in the hour-long special, the narrator attempted to distinguish between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, but the claim people are born with type 1 diabetes led to several people complaining to BBC’s Points of View show.
Leading charity Diabetes UK contacted Points of View to explain why the statement is factually incorrect, which resulted in responses from both Points of View and Panorama.
Points of View presenter Jeremy Vine said: “There isn’t enough research to determine the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, and it was factually incorrect to claim it’s ‘the type you’re born with’.”
Responding to the charity, Panorama editor Rachel Jupp added: “It is vital we get the facts right … The line about type 1 diabetes wasn’t medically accurate, and we shouldn’t have said it.”
Diabetes.co.uk was also disappointed that the documentary painted a particularly dismal prospect for people with type 2 diabetes.
The program highlighted the struggles people experience during calorie restriction and adhering to small-portion diets, but didn’t address how changing to sustainable, low-glycemic load diets can lead to significant health benefits.
It failed to mention that dietary changes, particularly eating a low-carb diet, can help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight, reduce the need for medication, and even achieve remission.
Editor’s note: People who sign up to the free Low Carb Program lose an average of 12kg after six months, and improve their HbA1c by 1.1%.