12 Common Diabetes Myths Debunked

Quick summary

With a complex disease like type 2 diabetes, commonly held misbeliefs about the disorder abound. When your parent is newly diagnosed, how do you know what's accurate and what's urban legend? Unfounded notions can discourage your parent from keeping the disease under wraps. Here, we dispel 12 popular misperceptions so you can help your parent stay on track with his treatment plan.

Myth #1: People with diabetes can't eat anything sweet.

Relax -- despite what you may have heard, a piece of cake or a couple of cookies won't cause a health crisis. In fact, sweets can be eaten in moderation by people with type 2 diabetes, if eaten as part of a healthy meal plan and combined with exercise, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Still, while avoiding sweet treats isn't mandatory, limiting them is. Sweets often contain not only empty calories but a lot of sugar, a carbohydrate that raises glucose levels considerably. For better glucose control, your parent should have dessert only after a low-carb meal. So make sure he eats that chicken breast, broccoli, and salad before he savors some ice cream.

Myth #2: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

No, chocaholics aren't destined to develop diabetes. The disease is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. And the high level of sugar in your parent's bloodstream is not the same thing as the refined stuff you buy in bags from the supermarket. That said, being overweight can increase a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and eating a lot of sugar can pack on the pounds. If your family has a history of diabetes, eating healthfully and exercising regularly is recommended to keep everyone's weight in check. And since your parent already has diabetes, those same things will help him manage the disease.

Myth #3: People with diabetes must eat a special diet.

A healthy diet for someone with diabetes is the same as a healthy diet for anyone else. How does that look? A wholesome meal plan is based on whole-grain foods, lean protein, vegetables, and fruit. Such a diet is low in fat (particularly saturated and trans fat), salt, and simple sugars. So-called diabetic foods offer no special benefits. Your parent's best bet would be to skip these costly commercial offerings and head for the produce aisle instead.

Myth #4: You can catch diabetes from someone else.

Diabetes is not an infectious or contagious disease. Scientists don't know for sure exactly what causes the disorder, but it can't be caught from another person, like a cold or the flu. There, does, however, appear to be a genetic link with type 2 diabetes: If a family member has the condition, you're at higher risk for the disease.

Myth #5: There's only one dangerous kind of diabetes.

Not so. Diabetes refers to a group of diseases -- all of which require serious attention -- that have in common the body's inability to properly convert glucose from food into energy, leading to a high level of sugar in the blood. The main kinds include type 1 (formerly known as juvenile-onset diabetes), type 2 (once called adult-onset diabetes), and gestational (which occurs only during pregnancy). The suspected causes differ for each type, but managing any type of diabetes requires balancing food, physical activity, and, if needed, medications. And while people with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day for their entire lives, type 2 diabetes is no less of a concern because ignoring it could lead to devastating complications such as blindness, heart attack, and stroke.

Myth #6: Only people with diabetes need insulin.

Everybody needs insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows the body to convert food into energy for activity. People who don't have diabetes make and use the right amount of this chemical. People with diabetes either don't make any insulin, don't make enough, or can't use the insulin they make properly. So your parent must balance his food, activity, and in some cases medications, which may include insulin injections or an insulin pump (insulin isn't available in pill form), to get the necessary amount of this essential hormone. And to dispense with another myth in this area: Insulin is a tool to manage diabetes, not a cure.

Myth #7: Nothing can be done to prevent diabetes complications.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Studies show that diabetes-related complications can be prevented or delayed if your parent follows a self-care treatment plan that keeps his blood sugar levels under control, and if he gets regular medical checkups. Many people with type 2 diabetes also have high blood pressure and cholesterol. Keeping these twin conditions in check as well can also go a long way toward warding off complications such as nerve damage and kidney failure.

Myth #8: Only overweight people get diabetes.

Here's the skinny on this one: Many people who have type 2 diabetes carry excess pounds, and some are obese, but many elderly people with the condition aren't particularly overweight. If your parent needs to shed some weight, it may be motivating to learn that even modest weight loss through healthier eating and increased activity can help keep long-term complications at bay. If your parent doesn't tip the scales, just know that diabetes doesn't discriminate: Even Slim Jims can succumb to the disease.

Myth #9: People with diabetes shouldn't exercise.

The exact opposite is true: Exercise is a key component of any diabetes treatment plan, as it helps your parent's body better use insulin and can lower or maintain his weight. Alas, exercise is often the most overlooked weapon in the arsenal against this disease, underestimated by both patients and c are providers. If your parent hasn't been active in a long time, is overweight, or has other medical conditions or mobility issues, then it's wise to get his main diabetes care provider's green light before he embarks on an exercise regimen. But barring severe disability or serious complications, physical activity of some sort -- and this doesn't have to mean working out at a gym -- should be done regularly by everyone with diabetes, regardless of age. You might encourage your parent to take walks with you, for instance.

Myth #10: People who follow their treatment plan never have high blood sugar readings.

It's too bad this myth isn't true. Unfortunately, sometimes your parent may experience the odd stubbornly high reading even if he's diligently following all his doctors' orders. Type 2 diabetes is not an easy disease to manage -- and as your parent ages, his body is constantly changing, as is his reaction to stress, infections, illness, medications, exercise, and diet. Little wonder, then, that sometimes his blood sugar doesn't cooperate.
Praise his hard work when he does hit his recommended range, but don't let an occasional high reading give him the excuse to throw in the towel. If he keeps on following his treatment plan, he'll find that, overall, his glucose control is on target.

Myth #11: It's possible to have "just a touch" or "a little" diabetes.

Nope, your parent either has type 2 diabetes or he doesn't -- period. And if he has the disease, he needs to pay attention to it. Even if diet and exercise changes keep his disease in check and he doesn't need oral medications or insulin injections, his condition still demands he follow a self-management treatment plan that includes glucose monitoring and making careful lifestyle choices.

Myth #12: People diagnosed with diabetes are doomed.

Far from it. While it's true that diabetes is a long-term disease without a cure, and your parent might experience some pretty nasty complications if his blood sugar levels are allowed to soar sky-high for years, he can avoid that fate.

Many people can and do lead busy, active, spontaneous lives while also managing their type 2 diabetes. Your parent's diagnosis alone doesn't rule out travel, having fun, or partaking in many of his usual pastimes or pursuits.
Simply put, your parent's guidelines are to follow his treatment regimen, plan ahead, and take extra precautions when necessary, such as checking his blood sugar more often if he's traveling across the country, or packing the right foods if he's taking a long car trip. With your help and the assistance of his healthcare team, your parent can continue to live a full and fulfilling life even with a diabetes diagnosis.