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Permalink Reply by landileigh on July 10, 2008 at 1:51pm

this was my post on GMA yesterday:

There are four types of diabetes. Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, and Other. Before a segment needs to be shown to millions of viewers about ONE type of diabetes, talking about all of these types must be done. Otherwise a great disservice is being done to people who have one the listed Types. As an "Other", my diabetes was not caused because of lack of exercise or diet (similar to a Type 2), yet it is also not caused by autoimmune issues (Type 1), nor was i pregnant (Gestational), but was due to a bile duct obstruction and subsequent pancreatitis and gall bladder removal (Other). My treatment is the same as a Type 1 diabetic, but the misinformation that was furthered by your program makes it more difficult in my trying to teach people about my disease. please inform yourselves before you inform viewers of your programs.

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landileigh2 Jul-9

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Permalink Reply by Terry Keelan on July 10, 2008 at 5:35pm

I sent an e-mail bringing this item and the ensuing controversy to the attention of David Lazarus, Health and Consumer reporter for the L.A. Times. He was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

I asked him to help in education people about the differences between T1 and T2 and referred him to some of the threads at tuDiabetes which discuss the GMA story, "But you don't look like a diabetic" and the like.

He may call on some of you.

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Permalink Reply by Jenny on July 10, 2008 at 6:49pm

Landileigh's point is a good one.

But there are many more than 4 kinds of diabetes. The more genetic study they do the more they identify unrelated genes that are implicated in so-called Type 2, and then there are different SNPs in each gene each of which causes a slightly different manifestation of blood sugar dysfunction.

"Type 2 Diabetes" is a garbage can diagnosis that covers probably hundreds of different disorders. It's as if they had a disease, "Cough" and threw in everything from emphysema, to lung cancer, to TB, to flu.

And many of the conditions called "type 2 diabetes" can't be prevented with trivial lifestyle changes. I am SO sick of hearing that because it is SO not true. It is nothing more than a folk belief. And the studies that are used to support the idea that lifestyle interventions prevent diabetes when carefully examined do not show that at all.

All they show is that meds, or exercise, or diet can lower (slightly) the blood sugar of people who are developing diabetes for a few years, so that instead of being diabetic (2 hour glucose tolerance test value of 200 mg/dl) they are "pre-diabetic" (2 hour glucose tolerance test value of 190 mg/dl). Every diabetes prevention study I have seen plays that trick.

Infuriating. And I say this as someone who does not have Type 2! So it isn't a personal thing of mine!

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Permalink Reply by Betty J on July 10, 2008 at 9:59pm

Thank you Kimball.

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Permalink Reply by Christine on July 23, 2008 at 11:12pm

I sent an email to the Today Show and asked THEM to do a story on Type 1.

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Permalink Reply by Betty J on July 24, 2008 at 9:02pm

Good move Christine.

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