"...that's right I'm not overweight..."
"...yes I can, reasonably, eat what I want..."
Two statements I find myself saying with increasing frequency.
I have diabetes. If you know anything about diabetes you'll realise
that I am type 1. The type that means your pancreas just doesn't work.
Not type 2 which afflicts the obese, where the pancreas cannot keep
pace, or elderly where it is just exhausted.
The media (both mainstream and underground) refer to a diabetes
epidemic in sensationalist headlines. What they actually mean is an
epidemic in type 2 but that doesn't scan so well as a headline and may
confuse readers. I wonder how many people with no exposure to diabetes
understand, or frankly, care about the difference.
As a type 1 diabetic I do care. I think it's important to get right so
that the public understands that there's a difference in the root
cause of the condition. That my diabetes is not self inflicted or
because of misuse but because of a failure. That's quite different to
type 2. Yet type 2 grabs all the headlines as its linked almost
exclusively to the obesity explosion as a result of how we live our
lives, particularly in the west.
I have seen some articles and campaigns for a name change for the two
conditions and could not agree more that this needs to happen. The
confusion over the two conditions is such that I find myself on
occasion having to justify myself and explain how it works to people.
The normal response is an enlightened look and an "...ahhhhhh..."
So please if you are reporting for the mainstream media, writing a
blog or podcasting, or indeed anything that communicates with people,
specify the type of diabetes you are referring to.
To help these are definitions from the Wikipedia.....
> Type 1 diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and currently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes".
> Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. This form was previously referred to as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or "adult-onset diabetes".
