Dealing with general practisional prejudice

[Suzanne]

Today, it was confirmed I have diabetes and I know why, but according to my dr, it is weight related and yes, I am a bit overweight, but believe me, I have been trying to lose the excess weight and for several years, still at 80kg and I believe I should be 50kg. I exercise every day and do intermittant fasting and do keep to that. I cannot consume a lot, because of the risk of bloating and do not eat before bed or even snack anymore, yet, cannot shift my weight.

Dr just so casually says: go for a 40 minute walk each day. I mean, here I am with social anxiety and cannot go out on my own and hubby is very busy with work and gets tired, so won't accompany me.

I know that if I told my dr why I believe I have diabetes, he would not believe me and insist it is because of being overweight and yet, I read that diabetes can make you be overweight.

 

[Aneka]

Weight is to a certain degree genetic. The only advice they can give you is exercise and eat less. It doesn't completly solve the problem although it does have a positive impact. Actually, regular exercising (and even walking is enough) is more important than diet. And about diet, what you eat is more important than how much.

 

[Aspychata]

This is all related. You are caught between diet, weight, exercise and what the authority figure is telling you. It can feel cumbersome to think about all this. I suggest 20 mins for one month. If you can- transition to 30 mins after one month or 2 months. Like set a goal. This will give you hope. And seem doable. A starting point.

 

[OkRad]

You are wise to think outside of the box and you are right. There are epidemiologists who study metabolic syndromes and many are caused from chemicals in our environment.

One is quite nasty, DDT. In the 50's it was sprayed everywhere. They are finding it FOUR GENERATIONS down in the cells of children and grandchildren of those sprayed. It disrupts estrogen and has been linked to a host of things like diabetes, etc. It is SO MUCH easier to blame someone who cannot lose weight. It is SO MUCH easier to say, "It's not the fact that we have ruined the environment and the long-established and fragile balance of Nature/Man."

No, the common and popular narrative is the absurd one that now, for no real reason, even kids have diabetes and it HAS to be the parents, right? Or your own fault, right? Then the say stop eating so much and exercise more and when you count up the number of people who can lose weight and keep it off, it's pretty narrow and STILL they are blamed......

There are some of us on here who have disruptions that make it so we can't eat. A lot of us have "feeding problems," and are not able to get the nutrition we need. So it does not necessary mean all will be overweight. Some are under. But it is not your fault. You can do your best, but try not to get too hard on yourself.....

Look at the science. The science is clear. Companies and their chemicals are in your body and they are not harmless and they are doing all sorts of things. Even babies are now born with many , many chemicals. It all matters. By the time you are putting a fork to your mouth, it's already set.

Just go to Google Scholar and type in something to the effect of chemicals, metabolic disorders, estrogen disruptions, etc...here is a mere few of hundreds...... And below is a Yale professor on Nutrition. If it were so easy, he'd be a pencil. But he's overweight himself. All this to say, don't be so hard on yourself. Your Dr is ignoring science.


Dietary Exposure to the Environmental Chemical, PFOS on the Diversity of Gut Microbiota, Associated With the Development of Metabolic Syndrome

Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds: Their role in reproductive systems, metabolic syndrome and breast cancer. A review - ScienceDirect

Metabolism disrupting chemicals and metabolic disorders - ScienceDirect

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3H2hBnUMZ61Zy5x3SQ-Hg20Ao2mUdv47

 

[ForestGumpett]

Hi, I’m new here and wanted to say I’m sorry you have gone through all that - it sounds very stressful. A woman that helped me with my weight issue was videos on actually anti cancer juices, however the “diet” if you want to call it that will make everyone better from what I’ve been seeing. If you want to check it out, her name is Charlotte Gerson, and you can find her on youtube under “Gerson Therapy”. Her father, Dr. Gerson was murdered, but this was many years ago. She died in 2019 of old age, no illness and she was proud to let people know she did not have a doctor because she never got sick. I do hope you get to feeling better soon and happy you are able to exercise! I have not in over 5 years, some days getting to the mail or dinner is the goal!

 

[GadAbout]

Suzanne, I'm curious. What do you think is the cause of your diabetes?

As for weight, I've put on 15-20 pandemic pounds, but I started using Noom, a weight loss app, about 6 weeks ago, and lost 5 pounds so far. That's not a very rapid weight loss, but I'm quite content with it. I mean, I'll keep going, but this program (on my cell phone) has made it easier to remain compliant. There are other exercise and weight loss apps around and I'm not claiming this one is superior, just that it seems to be working for me.

 

[Mary Terry]

I hate to hear that, Suzanne. Can you walk with a friend from church? Or see if the church will organize or sponsor a membership group to walk together several days a week? It might help with the anxiety and provide motivation to walk with someone you know and trust.

 

[Au Naturel]

Doc says I am prediabetic. Adult-onset, type2. Exercise more, eat less sugar, the usual things.

There is no cure for diabetes. Your pancreas ages and becomes less able to produce insulin. At the same time, your body's cells become less efficient at taking in sugar from the blood. This is why it becomes more common as you get into older age groups, it's just your body slowing down due to age.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Factors that may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes include:

• Weight. Being overweight or obese is a main risk.
• Fat distribution. Storing fat mainly in your abdomen — rather than your hips and thighs — indicates a greater risk. Your risk of type 2 diabetes rises if you're a man with a waist circumference above 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) or a woman with a measurement above 35 inches (88.9 centimeters).
• Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
• Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
• Race and ethnicity. Although it's unclear why, people of certain races and ethnicities — including Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian people, and Pacific Islanders — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than white people are.
• Blood lipid levels. An increased risk is associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — and high levels of triglycerides.
• Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45.
• Prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes.
• Pregnancy-related risks. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant or if you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms).
• Polycystic ovary syndrome. Having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes
• Areas of darkened skin, usually in the armpits and neck. This condition often indicates insulin resistance.

I am overweight. Not terribly so but I could afford to lose 10%. I don't have the muscle mass I used to. I'm also inactive too much. Ought to get some vigorous activity in every day. Exercise is the only thing a person can do to increase the body's metabolism of glucose. Your muscles can burn glucose directly without needing insulin. Everything else you might do is just keeping the levels of glucose down through careful food selection and reducing body fat as a source.

 

[Mary Terry]

I hate to hear that, Suzanne. Can you walk with a friend from church? Or see if the church will organize or sponsor a membership group to walk together several days a week? It might help with the anxiety and provide motivation to walk with someone you know and trust.

If you had space and money, a treadmill or stationary bike in your home would be great.

There are exercises you can do at home to lose weight and build strength. Something as simple as sitting in a straight backed chair, standing up, sitting again, standing, sitting, etc. Sit and stand repeatedly. Watch TV, listen to music, or even read a book while you repeatedly sit and stand. For extra workout, hold a can of food of equal weight in each hand while you do it to build arm strength and increase your heart and respiratory rates.

Pilates exercises work, too. Maybe you can find an online video of exercises to do every day.

 

[crazyoldhermit]

Today, it was confirmed I have diabetes and I know why, but according to my dr, it is weight related and yes, I am a bit overweight, but believe me, I have been trying to lose the excess weight and for several years, still at 80kg and I believe I should be 50kg. I exercise every day and do intermittant fasting and do keep to that. I cannot consume a lot, because of the risk of bloating and do not eat before bed or even snack anymore, yet, cannot shift my weight.

Dr just so casually says: go for a 40 minute walk each day. I mean, here I am with social anxiety and cannot go out on my own and hubby is very busy with work and gets tired, so won't accompany me.

I know that if I told my dr why I believe I have diabetes, he would not believe me and insist it is because of being overweight and yet, I read that diabetes can make you be overweight.

Suzanne, I have had type 2 diabetes for 20 years now. I am 70 now and was 50 when I got it. I wasn't overweight and it was not in my family but I got it from a med I was taking to prevent migraines called Inderal. It's a beta blocker and it raises your blood sugar and over time causes you to get diabetes. I was on huge doses for 14 years. I hope the doctor put you on oral Metformin and not insulin. Metformin, along with diet and exercise, will help you lose weight. Insulin will not. My advice is to get a meter and check your BS about 2 hours after you eat. That way you can find out what raises your BS and what doesn't. It's not always the desserts that raise it the most. For me, it's the carbs. I can't exercise much either as I have ankylosing spondylitis but I try to do some mild exercising in the house every day. You can live a good life with diabetes- you just have to stay on top of your blood sugar control and work with your doctor. Best of luck to you!

 

[Suzanne]

Doc says I am prediabetic. Adult-onset, type2. Exercise more, eat less sugar, the usual things.

There is no cure for diabetes. Your pancreas ages and becomes less able to produce insulin. At the same time, your body's cells become less efficient at taking in sugar from the blood. This is why it becomes more common as you get into older age groups, it's just your body slowing down due to age.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Factors that may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes include:

• Weight. Being overweight or obese is a main risk.
• Fat distribution. Storing fat mainly in your abdomen — rather than your hips and thighs — indicates a greater risk. Your risk of type 2 diabetes rises if you're a man with a waist circumference above 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) or a woman with a measurement above 35 inches (88.9 centimeters).
• Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
• Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
• Race and ethnicity. Although it's unclear why, people of certain races and ethnicities — including Black, Hispanic, Native American and Asian people, and Pacific Islanders — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than white people are.
• Blood lipid levels. An increased risk is associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — and high levels of triglycerides.
• Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45.
• Prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes.
• Pregnancy-related risks. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant or if you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms).
• Polycystic ovary syndrome. Having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes
• Areas of darkened skin, usually in the armpits and neck. This condition often indicates insulin resistance.

I am overweight. Not terribly so but I could afford to lose 10%. I don't have the muscle mass I used to. I'm also inactive too much. Ought to get some vigorous activity in every day. Exercise is the only thing a person can do to increase the body's metabolism of glucose. Your muscles can burn glucose directly without needing insulin. Everything else you might do is just keeping the levels of glucose down through careful food selection and reducing body fat as a source.

For me, pregnancy related. I had ketones in my urine whilst pregnant, due to not being able to eat or drink, but lost the baby, just before 3 months, thanks to medical interferance.

A year after, started to get weak and needed sugar things to bring me back to normal and other things happened too. Been tested a few times for glucose levels, but said not in the range and left me be, so with that, having to deal with things on my own, it has gone to diabetes now.

Oh and not to do with eating sugary things ( dr told me this)

 

[Suzanne]

Suzanne, I have had type 2 diabetes for 20 years now. I am 70 now and was 50 when I got it. I wasn't overweight and it was not in my family but I got it from a med I was taking to prevent migraines called Inderal. It's a beta blocker and it raises your blood sugar and over time causes you to get diabetes. I was on huge doses for 14 years. I hope the doctor put you on oral Metformin and not insulin. Metformin, along with diet and exercise, will help you lose weight. Insulin will not. My advice is to get a meter and check your BS about 2 hours after you eat. That way you can find out what raises your BS and what doesn't. It's not always the desserts that raise it the most. For me, it's the carbs. I can't exercise much either as I have ankylosing spondylitis but I try to do some mild exercising in the house every day. You can live a good life with diabetes- you just have to stay on top of your blood sugar control and work with your doctor. Best of luck to you!

A friend lent me her meter and I have an app that I can register my levels on and this enabled my dr to agree to test me for diabetes. He has put me on medicine to reduce my blood pressure ( although it is not that high now, due to having fish oil every day). However, I cannot make myself have this chemical meds at the moment.

He claims that I just need to lose weight and exercise, to get back to normal, but I do exercise every day and I do not overeat. Anyway, he refused to give me a meter, saying that it is not necessary and instead, I am to have blood tests, every 3 month's for a year.

 

[Mary Terry]

Gestational diabetes is not uncommon. I have a friend who, like you, developed type II diabetes after her pregnancy and she is not fat at all. I'm sorry this happened to you but I know that you can manage it, hopefully without ever taking insulin.