ThAT tHiNg YoU WeRe AbOuT tO Say?

Stop, before you look like an idiot. If I had to rank pet peeves in relation to the asinine things people say about diabetes, it's the comment that, "you only get diabetes if you're fat and especially if you don't exercise." Now, I'll admit, I read the studies that show Type II diabetes is increasing among adolescence, which is often a sign of poor diet and exercise. However, that fact doesn't mean that if you take shots, you can't lay off the ding dongs.

Type I diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it would manifest itself early in life. Only 5-10 percent of people with diabetes actually have this form and it is, for the most part, a hereditary disease. It means that you either don't have a pancreas or your body has turned against it. Therefore, you don't make any of the natural hormone insulin that your body needs to take the broken down food (sugar) and insert them into your cells as energy. Instead, your stomach mashes it up, it goes through your intestine and the sugar just floats around in your blood stream... never to find a home. Thus, drinking a lot (your body trying to flush out the excess sugar) and eating a lot (since your cells aren't getting any food, it wants you to eat and eat) while rapidly losing weight are sure signs of diabetes.

Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. According to the American Diabetics Association, millions of Americans have this form and they believe many more are unaware that they have it or, due to health and lifestyle, are prone to get it. It is caused by lifestyle factors but can also be hereditary. On a side note, Type II diabetes is also the type of diabetes cited in those cases you hear about where African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are at a higher risk than other ethnicities of developing the disease. It usually manifests itself later in life and means that the body either is not producing enough insulin for size/lifestyle or isn't accepting it (insert study quotes here.) Often this form of diabetes can be managed with a healthy diet and daily exercise. However, sometimes a doctor may prescribe a pill to coax more insulin production from the pancreas or for more severe cases, daily injections.

I'm a lucky 5-10 percent person diagnosed with Type I despite the fact that no one in my family has had it (besides my grandpa for very unrelated reasons.) People often want a reason why they got it, but all you can do is shrug and say, "my body voted it off the island?" Who knows! When I was diagnosed the doctors told us it could have been the result of an illness that lay dormant in my body for years and was triggered by stress or another illness, or just the lucky draw of fate. At this point I say, I can't change it but I sure better learn to live with it! It's better than the opposite, right (which consequently would have been my fate before 1921)? As I said, living with diabetes is a process made much easier when people understand why you need a diet drink all the time but sometimes need a sip of orange juice. Or can support healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle instead of condoning you like this illness is all your fault (for being the lazy, chubby kid, right? WRONG.)

Get your facts straight, please. You can be a great support network to a friend and who knows, one day you may even notice a sign that ends up being able to save someones life; stranger things have happened!

*There is also gestational diabetes, where a pregnant mom gets it while she's pregnant. But I'll be honest, I haven't paid much attention to it. I'm sure you could google it!