Type II Diabetes-Taking Care of Yourself

Diabetes Information May be Flawed

As a physician I receive complementary copies of Diabetes Forecast for my office. I actually read the magazine before putting it out for my patients because I sometimes find information that I consider not acceptable. This was certainly the case in the July 2010 edition.

Insulin Is Not For Everyone

Diabetes Forecast Magazine, guest editorial writer, David Marrero, PhD, wrote a story “Starting Insulin”, that I must take issue with. In the article he describes a man’s concern that he did not take care of himself and now must take insulin for his Type II Diabetes. Marrero seems to think the patient should not feel responsible for having to take insulin. He actually blames the patient’s concerns on physicians for using insulin as a threat to their Type II Diabetes patients. He also encourages the readers to talk to their doctors to see if taking insulin is a good choice for them. This is the same line we see on pharmaceutical advertisements on television. It must do a good job of selling drugs or the drug companies would not still be using it. It makes me suspect that David Marrero has received money for his research and for his comments.

David Marrero is noted to be a PhD. He is not a physician. Physicians know that Type II Diabetes can be prevented and completely controlled with diet and exercise. Of course we are going to give our patients the option of taking better care of themselves because if they don’t they will end up on insulin and with serious end-stage complications. It is not a threat but it is a promise.

It surprises me that a magazine that is suppose to be focused on the health of people with diabetes, would publish such an article.

Look Who’s Talking

Later in the magazine is an article about Dr. Kitabchi who is doing research comparing two different diets used for Type II Diabetes. The article shows a picture of the researcher, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist.   Either it was a very bad camera angle or Dr. Kitabchi is overweight himself. It is surprising to me that a director of a diabetes center isn’t a better role model for the patients he works with. How motivating can we expect our patients to be if we don’t “walk the walk” ourselves?

I am very disappointed in the picture painted by the American Diabetes Association through their magazine, Diabetic Forecast, which is delivered to probably thousands of people with diabetes. I am sure those people depend on the magazine and the organization to give them information to live their lives by and help them be as healthy as possible. They deserve that.