What isn't diabetes?

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and we at H.E.A.L. Mississippi thought it would be fitting to share with you a little about what diabetes isn’t to make you more aware of what diabetes it is.

Diabetes is a complex condition brought on by multiple factors not just one. The term “diabetes” as we all reference it is an abbreviated version of “diabetes mellitus” which means “sweet” or “honeyed” substance siphoning or passing through our body. This term was derived because of the conversion action of food into energy. Food is converted into glucose, which is a form of sugar, carried in our bloodstream throughout the body to provide energy wherever necessary, otherwise known as blood sugar or blood glucose. A main misconception of diabetes is that it’s a condition derived from eating too much sugar so much so that in some communities, diabetes is affectionately known as “The Sugar”. Our goal in this column is to dispel a lot of the popular myths about diabetes to help you understand what diabetes actually is and what it isn’t. Yes, diabetes is a condition of too much sugar in your bloodstream, but it is not a condition of eating too much sugar. Let’s dive in and dispel some other popular myths about diabetes.

Myth 1: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes 

Diabetes is caused by the body not producing enough insulin or not responding properly to insulin. While eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which increases the risk of developing diabetes, eating sugar does not directly cause diabetes.

Myth 2: Only older people get diabetes

Diabetes is not age discriminate. Diabetes can be developed at any age. There are several types of diabetes, one of which aging does increase your risk of developing it but even that type can be developed earlier in life with prevalence increasing in children.

Myth 3: If I have diabetes, I can’t eat any more sugar or carbohydrates

People with diabetes do need to properly manage their diets and monitoring carbohydrate intake is important. However, they can still have sweets. The key to eating sweets is to have a very small portion, be prepared to burn them off, or already have worked to earn them. I have a saying, “You can have it if you worked for it”. If you are going to eat it, you have to be prepared to work it off or you have to have worked up to it in the form of adequate exercise and physical activity.

Myth 4: Diabetes can be cured

Right now, there is no known cure for diabetes. Diabetes is a condition of chronically elevated blood sugar levels due to some type of disruption in insulin action. For certain types of diabetes, like type 2 diabetes, you can control blood sugar levels through your lifestyle without medication but your natural propensity to have high blood sugar levels will remain.

Myth 5:  African Americans and Hispanics with a family history of diabetes will eventually develop diabetes

Being a minority and having a family history of diabetes is not an automatic ticket to diabetes. These factors can elevate your risk but if you adopt a healthy lifestyle, you can prevent type 2 diabetes onset. Every one person’s metabolic process is different even if you are in a family with poor metabolic health. 

Myth 6: People with diabetes have to take insulin

All people with diabetes do not take insulin. People with type 1 diabetes take insulin due to their body’s insufficient insulin production but people with type 2 diabetes, which are over 90% of all people with diabetes, their condition can be managed with lifestyle and oral blood sugar lowering medications. If a person with type 2 diabetes is on insulin, then their body exhibited poor control of their blood sugar level with their previous medication and lifestyle regimen, and this can be caused by a number of factors.

Myth 7: Only overweight/obese people get diabetes

Being overweight puts you at a higher risk for developing diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, but anyone can develop diabetes, including healthy people who are at an ideal weight for their body type. Common causes of diabetes in people who are not overweight are genetics and damage to the pancreas, which makes the hormone insulin. Research has shown that people who have more visceral fat, or belly fat, are at a greater risk for type 2 diabetes. Other factors that contribute to developing diabetes are certain medications, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol.

Myth 8: “Borderline” diabetes is nothing to worry about

“Borderline” diabetes or prediabetes is a form of diabetes. This means your body has higher than normal blood sugar levels and if not properly managed with lifestyle modifications, it can lead to diabetes. In some cases, if you have prediabetes, your provider can opt to prescribe oral blower sugar lowering medications if they feel it necessary.

Myth 9: People with diabetes should be on a restricted diet

No one should be on a restricted diet except for people who were given a restricted diet by a dietitian, people with certain food allergies and people with conditions related to food metabolizing. Generic dietary plans are not all inclusive. They don’t work for everyone despite their popularity. Dietary restrictions can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle atrophy, and they aren’t sustainable. Muscle atrophy can be particularly concerning if you lose a significant amount of weight with improper nutrient balance. The best dietary pattern is one that is nutrient sufficient and tailored specifically to your lifestyle and the best person to give that dietary pattern is a registered dietitian.

Myth 10: You can adjust your diabetes medication to “cover” whatever you eat

If you use insulin for your diabetes, you may learn how to adjust the amount and type you take to match the amount of food you eat, but this doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want, then just use more insulin to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar-lowering medications work best with proper lifestyle modifications and when they are consistently taken as directed.  

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