A true picture of diabetese?

25 October

Another rough day yesterday, that’s why no blog.

Did you happen to see the item on the 6 o’clock news last night? It carried a major report on diabetes, followed up at 7.30 with Inside-out. It could really scare the pants off some people you know, but in reality, there was nothing new in there for me. The same warnings have been spoken about for some time now. For me though, the picture of that man’s foot before he lost his toes was a shocker. His left foot didn’t look all that good either.

But here’s the point, he didn’t accept his diagnoses when he was first told. Now he is paying the price. For years, I had been warned about my weight and I also took no notice. I was diagnosed around 15 years ago, but even so, at that time it hit me hard, even though I was expecting it. After the first rush to take a lot more care, I soon slipped though. Now I’m living pretty much a normal life and thankfully my diabetes seems to be well controlled. I think stopping the booze has helped a huge amount. And now I do have the occasional bar of chocolate, but I don’t usually go mad at it.

I do have another problem with that TV show though. It seemed to me that the full blame for the problems are down to the individual patient. Some allowances were given to people from South India, but then pointed the finger back to the individual or their family. The problem with all that, is that it may well be down to them or in some cases their family, but how much damage will the programme do in the minds of non-diabetics. Obesity is already the target for abuse out in the street as it is, that show will only make things worse. Two of my friends are Type2s too, and neither is obese in any way. One of them, Martin, has been very careful with his diet for as long as I have known him, so how does that work then?

As it is right now, the general public are not very knowledgeable about the condition anyway. One of the Facebook groups I take part in posts regular items that list misconceptions about diabetes as it is. Things like your friends keep reminding what they think you can or can’t eat; comments like, ‘It’s not a real illness is it?’ That is just two of them. Such comments don’t do us any good at all and only shows how ignorant of the condition the general public are.

There is one organisation who have a lot of questions to answer, and that is the food makers and sellers. The food industry really do need to do more to make their products much more healthy all round. A larger percentage of their products are aimed at children. These products are bright and colourful, and of course, loaded with sugar, even if they don’t use that word. Even breakfast cereals are full of sugar too. Once the products are made and sent out, the retailors start their fun and games. Racks of nice, sweet packs of sweets and so on and on display, all of them under some sort of offer. Parents then come under the pester power of their kids – and then they wonder why obesity is such a problem.

And don’t me started on the alcohol side of things … … …      

One of the major issues we might have if we did move to Spain, is the health care provision. From experience that last time I was in Mallorca I found it to be good, but that was in a private hospital, paid for by my travel insurance. To get the same level of care we would need to get health insurance, at least I think we will. Spain does have a NHS but I’m sure how good or extensive. That will need to be considered quite a bit before we made sort of decision.

Today’s photo …

A shop window display.

Today’s funny …  

Why did the ghost work at Scotland Yard?
He was the Chief In-Spectre.