supersize vs superskinny (with diabetic mum)

[grahams mum]

it just started new series on c. 4 obese kids and anorexic and first thing they are showing the mother of the obese boy is diabetic on insuline but they dont say what tipe and it make me so angry because they are showing she is an incompetent mother (i find it strange that she doesnot know what is bad for you if she is diabetic ) and the boy can end up like her heart attack and diabetes they did not mention that it could be genetic and there is nothing you can do about tipe 1!!!!!😡

 

[Northerner]

I missed the first few minutes, so just caught that the mother had diabetes but no other details. They might expand on it during the programme.

 

[bev]

Hi Daniela,

Yes - I am watching it - its very confusing because the mother said she is diabetic and when she collapses her son has to inject her (Glucagon I presume) - so not sure if she is type 1 or type 2 - either way its not good information - and this is a Doctor.😱🙂Bev

 

[Viki]

I missed the first few minutes, so just caught that the mother had diabetes but no other details. They might expand on it during the programme.

No surprise Alan, they didnt!! In fact the only comment was something like "its to late for Mum but ..."

Charming!

 

[Copepod]

They said the mum had had diabetes for 20 or 30 years (can't remember, but it was decades), annd looked in her 40s at most, so I assume she had type 1 diabetes; the comment about son injecting her to bring her round from unconsciousness (like Bev, I assumed glucagon) supported this theory.

In the context of a programme about an obese teenager, it would have been worth a comment about the types, as while obesity doesn't always lead to type 2 diabetes, it never leads to type 1 diabetes. The mother explained that the boy started over eating (being over fed?) just after his dad died - from the photos, it looked like when he was primary school age.

 

[Caroline]

This is probably a bit controversial as I didn't see the programme. I know all the parents here are good.

Children learn their eating habits from their parents. In my family at least food was always used as a reward (extra cakes or sweets for being good) and a punishment (no nice puddings for being naughty), so as an adult it has been a struggle to break myself of the rewards for being good and the punishment for being bad.

Education is a good thing, but by the sound of it this programme does not help promote healthy eating for anyone.

 

[grahams mum]

JDRF response to the program go on their website

 

[Northerner]

JDRF response to the program go on their website

Here's the link:
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/news.asp?ite...erskinny%92&section=000100010002&year=&month=

 

[AlisonM]

I didn't see the show, but suspect the lack of information may have been deliberate. They didn't want to say she's Type 1 because that would undermine their message that poor diet/lifestyle causes diabetes.

BTW. If she was hypo, why would they inject her? Do you inject Glucagon, I thought you swallowed it?

 

[grahams mum]

thanks northerner i am not very good with links and pictures

 

[Copepod]

I didn't see the show, but suspect the lack of information may have been deliberate. They didn't want to say she's Type 1 because that would undermine their message that poor diet/lifestyle causes diabetes.

BTW. If she was hypo, why would they inject her? Do you inject Glucagon, I thought you swallowed it?

Glucagon is injected into someone who is unable to swallow; gels such Hypofit are given when conscious enough to swallow.

 

[Northerner]

I didn't see the show, but suspect the lack of information may have been deliberate. They didn't want to say she's Type 1 because that would undermine their message that poor diet/lifestyle causes diabetes.

BTW. If she was hypo, why would they inject her? Do you inject Glucagon, I thought you swallowed it?

I thought the same as you - that they 'manipulated' the facts about the mother's diabetes so they could imply it as a dangerous conseuence of obesity.

Glucagon is the hormone that is the opposite to insulin, and is produced by the alpha cells of the pancreas, normally in response to a drop in blood sugar levels. It switches off the insulin and prompts the liver to release stored glucose. Of course, if you've injected the insulin you can't switch it off, so the amount of glucagon you inject is probably a lot more than a healthy pancreas would need to put out, and also why the glucagon injection will only work once in 24 hours because it will make the liver deplete it's glucose stores. 🙂

Did anyone see last night's show? I thought the young lad did really well - he looked so much healthier and happier at the end of the show 🙂 How on earth his family could not see how dreadful his diet was before defeats me - it was patently appalling and clearly responsible for his weight gain!

 

[grahams mum]

i did not watch it last night because my partner was watching something else and i was reading with graham

 

[AlisonM]

Thanks Northe, I was obviously thinking of glucogel, not glucagon.

 

[Northerner]

Thanks Northe, I was obviously thinking of glucogel, not glucagon.

There seems to be so much diabetes-related terminology which is confusing!