Schuyler is my weird and wonderful monster-slayer. Together we have many adventures.
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November 28, 2010
A Beedies thing
I don't usually cross-post much, and I tend to keep the diabetes talk off this blog, for the simple reason that it tends to bring out the assmonkeys in battalion strength numbers.
But I wrote an article for dLife, called "Club Membership", that I think is worth sharing, precisely because of the previously mentioned assmonkeys.
I thought that Chicago Tribune article was very unkind toward Type 2s, and portrayed Type 1s in a very unpleasant light. I also though it didn't hit on what is (in my opinion) the real source of the conflict, which stems from lack of education both among diabetics of both types and the general population. Type 1s believe the same untruths about Type 2 as are portrayed in the media, while many Type 2s know as little about Type 1 as anyone else with no connection to that condition. This leads to frustrating conversations on both sides, with Type 1s saying to Type 2s "Why can't you just lose weight?" and Type 2s saying to Type 1s "Why can't you just do XYZ and get off insulin?" To sum up, I believe it's the prevailing misconceptions, with the subsequent unsolicited and often incorrect advice, which causes this disconnect.
I would urge anyone who still believes that Type 2 diabetes is caused by gluttony and sloth to read this page that summarizes and links to the academic research that makes crystal clear the origin of Type 2 in a combination of genetic and epigentic factors. The bad eating habits so many people assume caused their diabetes often grow out of the symptoms caused by early undiagnosed diabetic blood sugar changes which produce ravenous hunger.
The toxic guilt created by the incorrect assumption that people are causing this disease gets in the way of identifying the real culprits--the interaction of a known set of genes that create insulin resistant in thin relatives of people with Type 2 and factors like pesticides, atrazine, arsenic and other environmental pollutants, pharmaceutical drugs that destroy insulin sensitivity.
The Tribune article was all Downright Nasty meets Totally Untrue. Even (or, I should say, predictably) the M.D. was full of sh*t.
I've never seen anyone's post at Blogabetes get that many page views (not to mention the fact that it's only been up for a day--go you!). It's also amazing that the nearly 1,000 readers are all sitting on their hands. How's your inbox doing?
I thought that Chicago Tribune article was very unkind toward Type 2s, and portrayed Type 1s in a very unpleasant light. I also though it didn't hit on what is (in my opinion) the real source of the conflict, which stems from lack of education both among diabetics of both types and the general population. Type 1s believe the same untruths about Type 2 as are portrayed in the media, while many Type 2s know as little about Type 1 as anyone else with no connection to that condition. This leads to frustrating conversations on both sides, with Type 1s saying to Type 2s "Why can't you just lose weight?" and Type 2s saying to Type 1s "Why can't you just do XYZ and get off insulin?" To sum up, I believe it's the prevailing misconceptions, with the subsequent unsolicited and often incorrect advice, which causes this disconnect.
ReplyDeleteI would urge anyone who still believes that Type 2 diabetes is caused by gluttony and sloth to read this page that summarizes and links to the academic research that makes crystal clear the origin of Type 2 in a combination of genetic and epigentic factors. The bad eating habits so many people assume caused their diabetes often grow out of the symptoms caused by early undiagnosed diabetic blood sugar changes which produce ravenous hunger.
ReplyDeleteYOu Did Not Eat Your Way to Diabetes
The toxic guilt created by the incorrect assumption that people are causing this disease gets in the way of identifying the real culprits--the interaction of a known set of genes that create insulin resistant in thin relatives of people with Type 2 and factors like pesticides, atrazine, arsenic and other environmental pollutants, pharmaceutical drugs that destroy insulin sensitivity.
The Tribune article was all Downright Nasty meets Totally Untrue. Even (or, I should say, predictably) the M.D. was full of sh*t.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen anyone's post at Blogabetes get that many page views (not to mention the fact that it's only been up for a day--go you!). It's also amazing that the nearly 1,000 readers are all sitting on their hands. How's your inbox doing?
Very quiet, actually. Almost nothing so far.
ReplyDeleteI actually miss your diabetes posts. My husband was diagnosed just over a year ago and it's interesting to see another perspective.
ReplyDelete