Myths and Misconceptions surrounding diabetes needs some pruning since it has escalated stigma around patients with the condition, making it feel like death sentence.
Every year, the world marks World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November, as for this year was no different, countries came together to pay this day respect, under the theme, ‘Education to Protect tomorrow’.
Diabetes is simply a chronic condition that affects the way the body produces sugar. There are two types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2.
About 1.5 million deaths are attributed to this disease every year. As bad as this sounds, what is more, unfortunate is the myths surrounding this disease.
Here are some common diabetes myths that need debunking:
- It is caused by eating too much sugar
Eating sugar does not directly attract diabetes. However, too much intake of sugary foods could lead to being overweight and that could potentially lead to diabetes. In turn, people just need to be careful about their levels of sugar intake.
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- Only overweight people can get diabetes
Even though obese people stand a higher chance of getting diabetes, it does not mean that other people cannot get it. Anyone could be at risk of getting diabetes irrespective of their weight.
- People with diabetes should not take fruits
Different fruits have different sugar levels in them. Having diabetes should not stop you from eating as many fruits as possible because the sugar content is natural, as compared to other diets that have added sugars.
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- People with diabetes cannot eat sugar.
This is false. Suffering from diabetes does not mean you shouldn’t consume sugar. It only means that there should be moderation in the amount of sugar one takes.
It is possible through observing the food you take to ensure the sugar levels are balanced out.
- Diabetes patients are dormant
Myth has it that diabetic people cannot be active in the things they do., suffering from diabetes does not stop one from carrying out day to day activities normally without fail. Exercising helps a lot with managing the condition.
- Diabetes is communicable
This could not be further from the truth. Diabetes cannot be passed from one person to another, either through physical contact or even sharing kitchenware. So, you can relax around people with the condition.
Diabetes is as serious a disease as any other. People with this condition should be cared for, and the only way for that to be achieved is through avoiding the stigma brought by nothing more than rumors.
