| I hope there isn't any war going on! NOBODY deserves to have diabetes. Type 1, type 2, gestational, LADA, MODY.... whatever type they have. I agree that there is a huge lack of education among the general public as well as, unfortunately, among many people living with diabetes.
There is lack of knowledge as to who gets the diabetes, and why. What the risk factors are for the different types. What the differences are between the different types. What the current treatments are. The fact that everyone is affected by diabetes in a different way and needs to have a treatment that is taylored specifically for them as an individual. The fact that no type of diabetes is more or less severe than another type... I could go on and on!
Mick, if your grandmother had had the education about her disease that you had, i think you are right, she would have lived longer and healthier. At the time, in the 60's, they still didn't realise the full extent of what lifestyle changes could do in the treatment of diabetes.
While it is true that we know now that many many cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented with lifestyle changes, that does not make anyone diagnosed with type 2 at fault for getting the disease. Most of them have no idea that they are at risk or that there is a way to reduce their risk. Lifestyle factors are only part of the risk anyway. We can't do anything about our age, our family history of type 2 diabetes, our race...
Andrea  | 
