6 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Diabetes
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/diabetes/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100266985>1=31010
In this article, Sue McLaughlin, former president of healthcare and education at the American Diabetes Association, expounds on the most common myths about the disease. Most of her advice is spot-on, but I had a small problem with #5:
"A diabetes diagnosis means you automatically need insulin. That's the case with type 1 diabetes but not with type 2 diabetes. In some cases, proper diet, exercise, and oral medications, if needed, can keep type 2 diabetes under control for some time before insulin becomes necessary, McLaughlin says. The key is to make a lifestyle change. That means no smoking, more healthful eating habits, and regular exercise."Don't get me wrong; it's nothing but the truth. However, I think that her statement about insulin may further discourage those with Type 2 from taking insulin when often it could be a great option for treatment. Research is showing that by starting insulin right away (instead of as a last resort after medications and diet have failed to be effective), the pancreas' beta cells (the ones responsible for insulin production that are damaged by diabetes) may be preserved from further destruction. I am all for making that lifestyle change she talks about, but I'm also a big proponent of finding the absolute best treatment for your particular case, and that very well might include insulin.
Aside from that one minor complaint, I found this article to be informative, especially for those who may not be familiar with the disease and might stumble upon it as I did. Mainstream media is a GREAT way to raise awareness, so I'm happy when diabetes makes the top headlines.
4 Easy Steps to Lower Your Diabetes Risk
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/diabetes/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100267080>1=31010
When I first read the title of this article, I was intrigued. You often see articles on prevention of other diseases, but rarely do you come across one in the headlines on the prevention of diabetes. Dr. Judith Fradkin of the National Institutes of Health's "4 Easy Steps..." are just that--short and easy. However, I don't see how they really apply to the prevention of diabetes specifically. Yes, they are essential steps for achieving good overall health and preventing obesity or losing weight, which are both key to preventing Type 2 Diabetes.
However, I don't like the correlation she makes between eating sugar and the prevention of diabetes...After all, the first article clears up the myth that eating too much sugar causes diabetes, so why lead people to believe that it's true? Again, I know that eating less sugar is a great idea, but it's not going to prevent someone who has the genes and other environmental factors from getting diabetes, according to my understanding.
Losing weight, exercising, eating whole grains, and getting better sleep are all good things for anyone to do, and very well may help prevent someone with the predisposition from developing Type 2 Diabetes. What the author didn't mention, however, was that there are no guarantees when it comes to disease prevention. In my case specifically, I was relatively healthy, and I still ended up getting diabetes.
Finally, right under the links for those articles, there was a link to Bing search for "Find delicious recipes for diabetic diets"...Right after the myths & misconceptions article specifically noted that there is no "diabetic diet". I'm not convinced I'm the only one who notices these things...
Maybe I'm being too picky, but the way I see it, if they're going to put these articles front and center, I wish that they would ensure that the information in them is current with today's medical knowledge about diabetes. Otherwise, they may just be contributing to the very misinformation they're trying to clear up.
