Diabetes and the media

Diabetes in the media

So according to the media I was diagnosed with type one diabetes because:-

I ate too much red meat, didn’t exercise enough, had anti-biotics as a child and I took statins. On top of all that I am personally responsible for the demise of the NHS because I have diabetes, and to make matters worse it looks as if I will be having some limbs amputated at some point in the future. It isn’t all doom and gloom though, if I eat tropical fruit, yogurt, chocolate, eggs and have some stem cell therapy then I will be cured, that’s a result then.

Hey, have you seen this…….

As a type 1 diabetic people are always messaging me with the new wonder cure, or the reason why I got diabetes. These people are usually very intelligent educated people. Why is it then that they insist on sending me such silly messages? The reason would be the media.

So many people read these articles and are under the impression if it is printed then it must be true.

Sensational Headlines sell newspapers

Check out some of the sensation headlines I have seen printed since I have been diagnosed :-

Is there a natural cure for Diabetes  Mail Online

Yogurt is the key to beating diabetes Daily Express

Diabetes toll a ‘burden’ on NHS The Sun

Eat eggs to beat diabetes Daily Express

Sensational headlines sell papers
Sensational headlines sell                                 papers

One in 7 hospital patients diabetic Daily Mail

Diabetes increase putting NHS future ‘at stake’ Independent

New diet wonder cure Daily Express

Tropical fruit helps to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes Daily Mail

Diabetes risk in red meat Daily Express

135 diabetes victims each week have amputations Daily Mirror

Antibiotics raise risk of diabetes Daily Express

Cure for type 1 diabetes imminent after Harvard stem-cell breakthrough The Telegraph

Chocolate can beat diabetes Daily Express

Behind every single one of those headlines will be a small grain of truth somewhere. A bit of research would have taken place and the resulting media frenzy will ensue. I must have heard of at least 5 different cures in the past 2 years, and guess what, they are all just 10 years away.

At least be accurate

As a type 1 it infuriates me when they media just use the term ”diabetes”. Specify which type of diabetes the subject matter is written about. There are huge difference between type 1 and type 2 and the reasons behind each type. If you are going to be publishing media on a mass scale at least be accurate in your reporting.

I have many friends who are type 2, I know it really gets to them when the media keep pushing that type 2 is bought on by diet and lifestyle alone. Diabetes is hard enough without have blame for it lain at our own feet, no diabetic has ever asked to be diabetic.

I’m sure people mean well

I know people mean well when they text me saying ”have you seen this in today’s paper” but in all honesty I have seen and heard it all before. I take the time to research new developments myself. I find the medical research papers and read those. Admittedly they don’t all make sense but at least it is scientific fact in those papers. It isn’t written as a sensationalist headline to just sell newspapers. All of the stereotypes around diabetes can have their origins traced to what is printed in the media in my opinion.

All of this blog is about diabetes in the written media, the audio and visual media are for another day.

Anyway that’s my rant over with.

For now

Take care, and ignore the media glare

Type1Bri

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