2. Diabetes Isn’t Always Caused By Sugar Consumption
Many people make the mistake of correlating diabetes with eating too much sugar, which can make it easy to blame the individual for developing the disease. In reality, diabetes isn’t often caused by a poor diet. Although a lack of exercise or a healthy diet can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, many other factors lead to developing the disease. Genetics, age, and ethnic background are factors that also increase the risk of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes and can be beyond the individual’s control.
3. Those with Diabetes Don’t Want to be Labeled
It can be easy to label someone as a diabetic and put them into a separate category than the rest of the population, but many individuals don’t want that to become their identity. I’m also a sister, a mother, and a wife, which adds more value and detail to my identity rather than the disease that I’m suffering from each day. It’s important to avoid calling people “diabetics” at all costs and remain sensitive.
4. There are Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes may sound similar, but there are many differences. Those who have type 1 diabetes suffer from an autoimmune disorder that causes the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin to attack themselves. The individual is no longer capable of producing insulin, requiring them to inject it on a consistent basis to remain alive. With type 2 diabetes, insulin isn’t used correctly in the body, but can be managed by following a specific diabetic diet and by taking medication. There’s also latent autoimmune diabetes, which has characteristics of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
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