As a parent of a child living with Type 1 diabetes and a self proclaimed Type 1 crusader I find it very annoying that mass media will not distinguish between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in their stories. The addition of 4 extra letters and 1 number, TYPE2, would save me from the hassle of having to educate magazines and newspapers one publication at a time.
The latest offender is Redbook magazine. They have an article in their October 2009 issue “How Healthy is Your Family Tree?” that talks about genetic diseases that can be caught before they turn serious if you only find out about them based on your family history.
Of course this article mentions diabetes. While I appreciate that they are getting the word out there for all the people with the ‘other’ diabetes, I am angry that they will not differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes IS NOT PREVENTABLE!! You can write article after article after article talking about how to prevent diabetes as long as you make note that you are only talking about Type 2.
Let me repeat that in case anyone from Redbook is reading, TYPE 1 DIABETES IS NOT PREVENTABLE!!!!
The following is the letter that I submitted to the letter to the editor of Redbook. Like I’ve said before, Type 1 crusader is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
Dear Ms. Morrison,
As a mom of a child living with Type 1 diabetes I was saddened to see that Redbook made no differentiation between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the article “How Healthy Is Your Family Tree?” While I agree with all of your points regarding diabetes, they are really referring to the more prevalent form , Type 2 diabetes, and a distinction really should have been made.
For my son and all the other people living with Type 1 diabetes it is an insult to claim that “more than 40,000 men showed that those who ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and chicken had a lower risk of diabetes that those who ate more traditional Western meat-and-potatoes diet,” without distinguishing the fact that any study of this nature can only be referring to Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which is not brought on by food intake, exercise or lack thereof, stress, or any other self induced cause.
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are very different diseases from their causes to their care. While I do not expect Redbook to write an entire article on living with Type 1 diabetes, I do expect at the very least, that when you take on the task of educating the masses that you do so in a responsible way. The responsible way would have been to make note that the article was about Type 2 diabetes thereby doing your small part in stopping the myths and misconceptions that plague my son regarding his type of diabetes, Type 1.
Thank you for your time.
On the bottom of every email that I send out is this website address. What are the odds that someone will click on my link and read this site? Maybe, just maybe, one more person will be educated about what my son and all the other people that live with Type 1 go through every day.
I can dream, can’t I?
Awesome Linds. Your dad is the best!!
Awesome! It is so infuriating, and is why people insist that I can’t have diabetes because I’m not “overweight,” or that I don’t need sugar free syrup in my coffee, because “you’re what, a size 2?” UGH! Leave me alone! You would be happy to know that I have passed on my knowledge to my family members, and they’re out there in the fight as well. The other day I got an email from my dad which said “you’d be so proud of me. I attended a business meeting this morning and they had a separate box of muffins on the food table labeled “diabetic muffins” and his exact words were: I went ape shit on them.” They were labeled by a local grocery store, and my dad is also going to “have a talk with them,” he said “they’re morons, and they have no clue what they’re talking about.” So, I guess I’ve educated my family! I’m crusading with ya Leslie.
And I needed to add, Type 1 has not been proven to be hereditary as The Doctors states. That is just not true.
Leslie
Hi Liz,
I read the link. Thanks. Yes, they are good with their explanation. When it gets to the nitty gritty of the show though they just use the word ‘diabetes’ no matter what kind they are talking about. We (my friends and I) are trying to get the word out to just simply add Type 1 or Type 2 (or others) when the situation calls for a distinction.
Exercise can prevent Type 2, not so with Type 1. But when we call for a cure we want to cure all diabetes regardless of type. There are huge difference between the kinds of diabetes, and it should be stated. A medical show/article wouldn’t get away with just saying ‘cancer’ either, they would clarify type as there is a huge difference between say pancreatic cancer 5% survival rate and prostate cancer 95% survival rate.
Thanks and keep reading.
Leslie
Hey Leslie…I was looking at some “previous” listings for the Dr.s I thought you had mentioned that they didn’t differentiate. I should hope they did…anyhow I found this, wondering if it’s spot on… have a good day dearie.
http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_synopsis/46?section=synopsis
Liz
Leslie great job! You need to fire that off to Dr. Oz too. On the show last week with the overweight cowboy he never distinguished that the guy had type 2 and kept saying if he lost weight…blah blah blah. Same stuff the rest of them do!
Awesome job Les! Keep it up!! When I read the Redbook article I thought of you. I knew we had another need for a letter on our hands!
Karen
Leslie,
Very well written. You ARE the Crusader for the cause. As I have said many times G is very lucky to have you for his Mom. People do need to be educated about Type 1. If I can learn and understand,anyone can. Keep up all the good work you are doing. Always proud of you.
Love,Mom
Thanks Tricia!! And on behalf of our boy THANKS for setting that professor straight. You are awesome!
Leslie
HI Leslie,
Tell em!!
You think that people with journalism degrees would get the facts straight or at least care to do some research before publishing articles. Especially,articles that are supposed to educate people.
The other night I had to correct my Professor in my adolescent Psych class. She said something like “todays adolescents are so fat.” “They are all getting juvenile diabetes because the eat like crap.” I couldn’t let it go. I didn’t want the other 49 people in my class not to know the difference between juvenile diabetes and type2 diabetes.
So, you’re right when you say, if we send your posts to others it will help inform others. By reading your posts I am able to differentiate between the two types and I am able to help inform others the correct and much needed information.
I hope that redbook publishes your letter.