Diabetes Type 2

And I don't know, the research is, the research always seems at the moment, and it's something that does irritate, and the television really irritates me about the fact that they always say things like, 'Diabetes is exploding because the society is obese.' And it's that thing, I feel like saying, 'But I wasn't.' And people are saying, 'Oh, she certainly''.You know, if you've put down, 'Oh, she must have been some size.' And that really, you know, as you can see over there, that was me at, at you know. I've never been anything other than roughly the size, maybe 4 or 5 pounds, but that was all. But they always try to make out, you know, 'It was your fault. You, you ate too much.' And I don't think that is, I don't, I think that's counterproductive. And I think the, the media and the press, yes, we have a terrible problem in the world of obesity. And yet people will say that on the whole people are not eating a lot more calories. So it's what's in the food that's doing the problem. But there's ways of being able to say, 'You know, you didn't, you didn't cause it.' I mean that's the only thing which really I find so negative. And maybe just because I feel it wasn't mine, that wasn't what caused mine.
 

I really do not believe that obesity is a primary cause of diabetes. For a start, I know lots of obese people who do not have diabetes. I also know a fair number of diabetic people who have never in their lives been overweight. What seems to be the direct link is how much truncal fat you have. How much fat there is around your middle and, and coating your organs. But the direct link, obese-and-diabetes link, I think is completely the other way round than the normal take on it. Obesity causes insulin-resistance, I think most obese people actually do have insulin-resistance, and therefore are probably putting a strain on their pancreas. But unless they have the additional defect in their pancreas, that people with diabetes have as a gene-related thing, it's not going to do any harm at all. They are not going to tip over and have the, the huge loss of beta cell function that diabetics do.

So what do you think caused yours then?

I think I have a genetic problem that runs throughout everybody I know in my father's family now looks like they are diabetics. My mother's family, nobody has diabetes that we know of, but my mother was a very small apple shaped person who died in her early seventies of effectively a heart attack.
 

When you think about diabetes, people think [of] 'being fat', because every time they mention obesity, they mention diabetes, on the media, every single time. So obviously you interpret that everybody who is diabetic is fat... And it's not the fact that I have... I know people who are slim with diabetes, but it's just that you just get used to that image. And I think people get used to, that's what they think in their head. I'm sure if I spoke to someone on the phone and said I have diabetes, they'd think, 'Oh she must be fat, she must be obese.' Do you know what I'm saying? Because that's just all you hear these day. 'Obese - Diabetes' You know and'

And how do you feel about that? Do you feel that's a bit of a stereotype? I mean does that annoy you?

I mean I don't spend so much time thinking about it, but if I do think, I think, oh that's a bit'I think it's sending across the wrong signal because you can be diabetic and not be, it's not necessarily' I mean, obviously weight does play a part but it's not the only contender, do you know what I mean? It's not, so I just don't think I just wish people would send out the right messages about healthy eating and eating healthily no matter what size you are, you know.
 

...I don't think I have very strong feelings, but I do think I would like to see it more of a less of a health thing and more of a lifestyle. I think it might appeal to different groups of people. I mean some people like it to be a health issue. They like it, they like the idea they have a health condition. I would like to see a lot more, a lot more attention given to the prevention of it. How can you, what can you do in your life? I mean thats getting a bit better, but I think it would be really, really good.

I mean at the moment they're saying, you know, there's an advert in some of the papers saying 'If you're Afro-Caribbean, or age such and such or this weight or your waist measures this, go and get a blood test for diabetes, you may be have diabetes. But that's such a, that is such a negative, it seems to me quite a negative approach. You know, yes, you might need that, but it would be have you thought about changing your eating to include this, or that, sort of being a bit directive, but allowing a choice.
 

I mean do you, supposing you were to go to somebody's house for dinner or something, for a meal, would you tell them that you had diabetes or, would like, would you'?

Not make a point, but you know maybe just, if it's obvious if someone really, if it offered something that you think, 'Oh no, it'd be better not to have that, or just have a little bit and see', or you know, there's nothing contagious about it I would say so it wouldn't hurt to say, and equally you don't have to say, if you don't want to. But other than what you're gonna consume you just say, 'Well I actually have diabetes so, I'll just have a little bit rather than a big portion, or not have that, you know maybe have a piece of fruit or something'. Not because you have diabetes but you don't want your sugar level to you know go the other way so that you go hypo or whatever.

I mean at work they'll say 'Oh, anybody want a biscuit, oh no you'd better not have that.' And I said, 'Well yeah I can have, you know, one or two.', but there's like people don't know, a lot of it is if you're ignorant isn't it, to what it means. But you shouldn't have to change what you do other than, do it in moderation.

And in your experience have you come across any kind of myths to do with diabetes?

I suppose but, I haven't really had it that long but, but a lot of people say, again what I was saying you know, 'You've got sugar', and what they don't, themselves know what it means. And sometimes they just say there's two types but they don't know what the differences are. Why do you need to inject yourself when, you know, there are tablets. But yeah I would say that a lot of people don't really know, but you don't need to know if you don't, you don't need to know if you don't know, you don't have to know in't it, unless you've got someone a bit with the symptoms.

Okay, so you had your treatment in hospital. Now who, you say you went onto insulin straightaway?

They weren't sure at first, they weren't sure whether or not I was a type 1 or type 2, and to be fair from everything I read from the Diabetes UK stuff and research that's been passed to me by family members etc. and stuff I've done on my own, there's no sort of in-between stage like a 1.5 or something. You know, it's either a 1 or a 2, and if they never sure, they'll always stick you as a 2, just to be safe, rather than go on the cautious side.