The 5 Most Common Myths About Diabetes
Breaking Down Common Misundertandings About Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
By Jennifer Peterson, DNP, APRN, LMT, FNP-BC
There are many commonly believed myths about diabetes in our community, leading to increased risk of misdiagnosis or stigma. To offer some clarity, we’ve tackled five of the most common myths about diabetes below.
1. Eating sugar causes diabetes
Eating a diet high in sugar along with other unhealthy lifestyle factors can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, but sugar alone does not cause diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the cells that produce insulin are destroyed and in type 2 diabetes there is a problem with the way the body processes insulin.
2. Type 2 Diabetes only affects people who are overweight or obese
Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight or are underweight. While being overweight or obese is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, the disease is not specific to body type.
3. Only children develop Type 1 Diabetes and only adults develop Type 2 Diabetes
People at any age can develop either type. Adults are often misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes because of their age or weight. Type 2 diabetes is occurring at an alarming rate in children and adolescents due to obesity combined with other risk factors.
4. People with diabetes are more likely to get sick
Diabetes does not cause an increase in colds or other illnesses. Having a cold or other illness can make it more difficult to manage blood sugar levels which can increase the severity of the illness. That is why it is important to prevent illness for patients with diabetes.
5. Diabetes is contagious
Diabetes is a non-communicable disease which means it cannot be transmitted from person to person by any means.
About the author
Dr. Jennifer Peterson, Nurse Practitioner, is the Director of Quality Assurance and Integration for GlyCare. She has years of experience managing diabetes for patients in the hospital and now trains other nurse practitioners to do the same. Dr. Peterson also ensures GlyCare provides high-quality services for all patients through a quality review program she created.
References
American Diabetes Association. (n.d.) Myths about diabetes.
Editor. (2019, January) Diabetes Myths.
Snouffer, E. (2019, July 10). Top 5 greatest myths about diabetes.
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