Is enough being done to support people with diabetes?
More people than ever have diabetes, and if something doesn’t change soon, more than five million people in the UK will have diabetes by 2025.
Around 90% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes – which is at least in part preventable through diet and lifestyle.
Diabetes charities and advocates for the disease believe people need to be made more aware of their risk of Type 2 diabetes and given better support to manage it.
For all that diabetes is a common buzzword and many people are warned that number of people living with diabetes is rising, many still struggle to get the support they need.
What do you think? Is enough done being to help people with diabetes? What should be done?
What are your views?
We'd love to hear your comments
Log in to comment
You need to be logged in to interact with Silversurfers. Please use the button below if you already have an account.
LoginNot a member?
You need to be a member to interact with Silversurfers. Joining is free and simple to do. Click the button below to join today!
JoinCommunity Terms & Conditions
Content standards
These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.
You must comply with the spirit of the following standards as well as the letter. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.
Contributions must:
be accurate (where they state facts); be genuinely held (where they state opinions); and comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.
Contributions must not:
contain any material which is defamatory of any person; or contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory; or promote sexually explicit material; or promote violence; promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; or infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person; or be likely to deceive any person; or be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or promote any illegal activity; or be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety; or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person; or be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person; or give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
Nurturing a safe environment
Our Silversurfers community is designed to foster friendships, based on trust, honesty, integrity and loyalty and is underpinned by these values.
We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
I knew I should eat carbohydrates but didn't realise that so many vegetables were within this group of foods and since adjusting my diet have far greater control of my sugar levels.
Type1 and Type2 diabetes are totally different conditions
People are too fat. That is the main problem and this is only just starting to be said.
If this information about diet and lifestyle was known previously why was it not acted upon until now ?? Horse and stable door again ??
There is a great deal of information out there from reliable sources and thus I find it difficult when people believe not enough is being done for them. Is this an example of the NHS being a victim of its own success? Yes, I accept some services may have been reduced, but this situation may also be unavoidable when you consider how much money is already spent on this one disease.
My mother had type 2 diabetes for many years, dying when she was 89. She was well aware of what she should do and could do, but chose to do what she wanted to. When she developed a diabetic ulcer and foot that caused incredible pain during the last years of her life, she accepted that things 'may' have been different if she had followed professional advise. She was also realistic in understanding that even if she had done everything she was told, you can not guarantee avoidance of complications. Her close friend stuck to a rigid diet and life style but still developed diabetic induced blindness and died from diabetic induced renal failure.
The NHS already spends an estimated million pounds a day on type 2 diabetes, a disease that is now developing in children, something unheard of in the past. What ever information there is out there, it can only be of use if people also take a degree of responsibly for their own health, rather than expect the state to do it for them. I have met many people who, having developed the disease, believe the NHS should take care of them rather than expecting them to change their lifestyle to help halt it's progression. At the other end of the scale, I have met many people who have worked hard to make changes and still develop complications. So, is there an answer out there?
I would therefore assert that there is definitely a lack of support,
Through research and a bit of info from a nutritionist I have had to work out a diet which now gives me better control, using the pills. Interestingly the diet changes areas not covered by any of the diabetic information or pamphlets I have seen, such as cutting out dairy and various meats.
I thought I ate healthily, but on checking, I find my cereal and fruit breakfast is high in sugar, so I have changed it, and I am cutting down on bread and potatoes, don’t know if it will work, but I have to sort this out, don’t want to take medication for it