ignorance about diabetes

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There is a lot of ignorance out there. When I was a child I was told by loads of people (including some quite well educated people) if I ate too many sweets I'd become diabetic. My dad is diabetic, but none of his sisters. My mums brother is diabetic, but not my mum or her sister. They saw things like sugar rationed because they lived through a war, so I am sure sugar is NOT the sole cause of diabetes. I have the predisposition because it is already in the family, my weight and activity level don't help, but again they are only contributing factors.
 
unbelivable!! grrrrrrr! if i replied id get arrested. how very very sad some people in this world are.
 
jimmysmum said:
unbelivable!! grrrrrrr! if i replied id get arrested. how very very sad some people in this world are.
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I suspect that the person is a 'troll' - someone who deliberately puts out controversial statements in order to wind people up. Although after Andy's 'gay' comment yesterday, maybe he truly believes what he said!
 
Saying that eating too much sugar causes diabetes is one of the biggest myths around.
 
He also has the meaning of Diabetes wrong - saying it means - dia (too much) + betes (sugar).

The 'Diabetes' part refers to the symptom of excessive urination. It is the 'Mellitus' part which means 'honey sweetened'

So the term 'diabetes mellitus' means - a lot of sweet urine. This was the way of diagnosing it before blood tests were available.

If I am wrong please feel free to correct me though!
 
The man is a fool. That is all.

I refuse to get angry about these ignorant people any more.
I know the truth, O knows the truth and so do the millions of people who actually bother to educate themselves and are willing to be educated.
There will always be ignorance and prejudice about everything in the world, thats life.
Lets keep on doing what we are doing, and keeping ourselves and our kids well and healthy. :D
 
I had one on the train last night. Elderly couple gets on and sit near me. The man is talking loudly to his wife about things in general. Then he drops the other boot and proclaims he can tell diabetics a mile off. I HAD to ask well how do you spot a diabetic then?

His reply was well diabetics are a funny colour and stink of sugar. I smiled and said well I am diabetic what do I stink of? he didn't have an snwer, but he is the sort of man who will carry on being ignorant of the facts, but quite a few other people asked questions of me, so he did some good.
 
I guess that in the wider scheme of things there are always going to be people who think they know it all or just enjoy winding people up with thoughtless remarks. We'll just have to sort them out one at a time!! Alan, just saw your reply to his post and I do not think there could have been a more informative response - I bow at the feet of the master! At least now the balance has been restored and hopefully people reading the comments will have a better understanding and not rush to judge.

Karina 🙂
 
Hi Caroline - goodness me, did someone declare this 'verbally bash the diabetics' week? I'll bet his wife could have curled up and died.... Did she ask you anything or did she just try to merge into the seat?
 
Caroline, how did you keep your cool? What a complete plonker! As far as I know, Alex isnt a funny colour and he certainly doesnt smell of sugar....more like mud and dirt when he's been playing football....and ocassionally soap when he is forced to have a shower!🙂Bev
 
karinagal said:
Hi Caroline - goodness me, did someone declare this 'verbally bash the diabetics' week? I'll bet his wife could have curled up and died.... Did she ask you anything or did she just try to merge into the seat?
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The wife just hid in her seat and pretended she didn't hear what was going on.
 
bev said:
Caroline, how did you keep your cool? What a complete plonker! As far as I know, Alex isnt a funny colour and he certainly doesnt smell of sugar....more like mud and dirt when he's been playing football....and ocassionally soap when he is forced to have a shower!🙂Bev
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I figured I had the moral high ground and if I lost it I'd do more harm than good. At least I managed to at least pass on some good information and help others, so this plonker wasn't a total waste of time, although I don'tt hink he will ever give up his limited way of thinking.

I wish other commuters smelt of sugar and spice as they don't all wash!

Alex sounds like a normal boy, and mud and dirt are good smells too.
 
It's worse I think when it's the diabetic person themselves who is "ignorant" of diabetes (or wilfully ignoring the advice/info given).

My FIL had type 2, he used it as an excuse for anything he didn't like/want to do/eat/drink/etc. It used to drive me up the wall. He couldn't eat olive oil, because of his diabetes - apparently it did funny things to his blood sugar. He could only drink full sugar coke, because he was diabetic - he used to get through over a litre of it a day.

Oh yes, and he was insulin treated, had retinopathy & other complications, and yet was a bus/coach driver - I suspect the DVLA was never aware of his diabetes. He died nearly 3 years ago of a heart attack linked to diabetic complications.

Scary, isn't it?!
 
Caroline said:
I had one on the train last night. Elderly couple gets on and sit near me. The man is talking loudly to his wife about things in general. Then he drops the other boot and proclaims he can tell diabetics a mile off. I HAD to ask well how do you spot a diabetic then?

His reply was well diabetics are a funny colour and stink of sugar. I smiled and said well I am diabetic what do I stink of? he didn't have an snwer, but he is the sort of man who will carry on being ignorant of the facts, but quite a few other people asked questions of me, so he did some good.
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Thats given me a good laugh. Incidentally, what DOES sugar smell of as last time I sniffed it, it was virtually odourless!!
What a twit!
 
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