I am not fat. Why do I have Diabetes?

Question

I was 52 years old when I was diagnosed with insulin dependant
Diabetes

Answer 1

You don't have to be fat ,....Diabetes is when your pancreas isn't working correctly. Let me explain ,....You pancreas releases insulin,....you must have insulin to absorb glucose (sugar). Your glucose is improtant because we must have that to survive, your cells need it to transport minerals, and oxygen to the body.
If you do not have insulin your glucose levels will begin to get increasingly higher. Basically insulin acts as a magnet within yourblood stream to help you absorb the glucose in cells. Thus causing syrup like blood, which causes trouble in healing, and circulation issues. This isn't even getting into all the other possibilities like ketoacidosis, or coma if levels reach to high.
Bottom line is if you know you have this disease, watch your carb. intake. Including those that are incognito (like corn, peas,...etc)excersise, check blood sugar, take med's like perscribed EVENIF UNDER CONTROL (chances are med's are the reason WHY you are under control!!!) Most of all, don't fear this disease, you are your best defense!! Educate yourself, and maintain healthy habits,.......youll do GREAT!!!!
Diabetes . org is a great site if you have any questions

Answer 2

Insulin dependent diabetes is type 1 diabetes - this is the kind that people most commonly develop in childhood, but a fair few adults are diagnosed with it too. Type 1 diabetes is very different from type 2 - the kind commonly caused by obesity. Your diabetes has nothing to do with life style or weight - just bad luck (though not that bad - most people with this condition have to cope with school, dating, exams, starting work, having children etc. etc.!).

I'm really shocked and concerned that your dr didn't explain this to you when you were diagnosed - are you being treated by your GP or hospital consultant? GPs cant know everything and some know very little about diabetes, esp. type 1 because it's mainly treated in hospitals (in Scotland anyway). Ask to see a doctor who has specialist knowledge or to be referred to the hospital clinic if you're not happy with the amount of information you've been given so far or if your blood sugars are consistently high and your GP doesn't seem to know what to do etc. Also check out Diabetes UK's website www.diabetes.org.uk - but look for articles relating to type 1 diabetes only as type 2 can be treated very differently.

Good luck xx

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

Because you have "insulin dependent diabetes". That is the old term for Type 1 diabetes. It is an autoimmune disorder that is caused by the person' s immune system attacking the insulin secreting cells in the pancreas. It usually appears in childhood, but can develop at ANY age.

You need certain genetic disposition for it, and then a trigger such as a virus and/or unknown dietary protein (some studies have linked casein and gluten to T1) in order to get it.

Blame the media. The media never mentions Type 1. When you hear "diabetes" they are referring to Type 2 diabetes, which is the common preventable form linked to obesity and poor diet/lack of exercise.

There is a form of Type 2 called MODY. It is a genetic form of diabetes different from both Type 1 and Type 2, although it is lumped in with the latter.

People with MODY are usually young and thin. Some need insulin, some do not.

There are tests that can be done to determine which type of diabetes you have. Ask your doctor to run these tests if you want to know. A lot of doctors and nurses do not realize that Type 1 can occur in adults, so people are misdiagnosed as Type 2, when in fact they have autoimmune diabetes.

And yes, Type 1 is not related to weight. Halle Berry is also an adult onset Type 1 as well. How many people would kill to have HER body? ;)

EDIT: Cammie, I love you, but Type 2 diabetes is NOT an autoimmune disease. Only Type 1 is. Sorry! And yes, thin people can get Type 2, but this is usually MODY. About 80% of Type 2's are overweight, and about 20% are not.

Answer 5

Type 1 (also, insulin dependent, juvenile onset, IDDM) Diabetes Mellitus, is the less common form of diabetes. The causes of this are different that those with Type 2 (also, non-insulin dependent, adult onset, NIDDM). It could be genetic or auto-immune, maybe even viral. Regardless, your body has attacked the cells that make insulin, so you just don't produce it anymore. That is not related to your weight at all.

Type 2 people are usually overweight and have a deficiency of insulin, or their bodies cannot efficiently use what they do make. You just don't make the stuff anymore. You need to inject it. You can run the gamut from hypoglycemic (running low) to hyperglycemic (running high). Some people will think you are odd to be diabetic and in need of a sugary snack to bring your blood sugar up in a hurry. That is because the majority of diabetics are Type 2 and battle hyperglycemia.

By the way, Mary Tyler Moore is a Type 1 diabetic, and she is very thin.

Answer 6

There are many factors which contribute to diabetes, and peole are right is saying you first need to determine which type you have...I'm assuming since you were first diagnosed at 52 it is most likely type 2.
Diabetes is genetic, and has other factors which can make you more likely to develop it. There are a large number of diabetics and it may be more common than you think, in Canada their are approximately 2,000,000 people living with the disease out of a 30,000,000 population, so 1 in 15 people!
The biggest factor beside genetics is diet, and in North America we have a very poor diet overall...

One thing I'd like to point out! Type 2 Diabetes is not due to weight, you can develop type 2 because of being overweight but it is not the only cause. Talk with your doctor to see if they can explain more to you...there are viruses that can damage the pancreas, or if you've had gal stones that have spread through ducts to your pancreas this can also lead to problems. You can have pancreas problems that may lead to diabetes too...so many things to look at that nobody can pinpoint you're reason except the experts!

Answer 7

You don't have to be fat. It has more to do with eating a diet high in refined sugar than fat.

Diabetes can happen either as a result of the pancreas not producing enough or any insulin(Type I), or the body becomes resistant to the insulin produced, and is unable to use it. This can progress to damage the insulin producing cells and will result being insulin dependant. This is called Type II diabetes, even when it requires insulin.

Genetics do play a part, but lots of people with the genetic traits will not develop diabetes. Other things like environment, viruses etc may also play a part in developing the condition, but no-one really knows for sure.

Good luck, I hope you're managing it well.

Answer 8

Here you can find a very effective natural treatment for diabetes: http://diabete-cure.gelaf.info

Diabetes can be "reversed" or go into "remission". I believe that what that is is decreasing the need to take medications. A person who has diabetes will always have it... but there are cases where a type 2 can either reduce medications or even eliminate them... but will still need to watch diet, get plenty of exercise and keep their weight down. This is called management and control. However, that does not mean that there will never be one. Research has taken huge advances and the more scientists learn about it, the higher likelihood that a cure might come about someday.
While I did recently read an article that stated gastric lap band or gastric bypass MAY be a potential cure, more research is needed and even if this one day is a cure, it would only be effective on type 2s who are obese since neither of those procedures are performed on people who are of normal weight or body mass. Stem cell transplants are still highly controversial and most likely, have a long way to go before it is approved as a diabetes cure by the FDA. Since the vast majority of diabetics are type 2 (roughly 90%), those of us who are type 1 seem to get lost in the shuffle. EMT type 1 for more years than I care to remember, use a pump. Let me add that when I mean diabetes can be controlled and managed without medication but with diet, exercise and weight control, I'm referring to type 2. This is not an option for type 1s, who must take insulin, either by injections or a pump, to survive.

Answer 9

Obesity has nothing to do with it. I am 53 and have had type 1 diabetes for 24 years.

I always knew as a child that there was a possibility that either I or my brother could develop the disease, as it was widely known then that the tendency toward getting it was inherited through the maternal side and that normally would materialise itself in males.

Having said that my older sister had a borderline form of type 2 and she was always diet controlled. She is, and always was obese. Her daughter now has type 1 my older sister now takes insulin injections; my mother has developed it, and has suffered some damage to her eyes and nerves, through it not being diagnosed early enough.

My grandfather was also colour blind which my brother and I also inherited. In discussion with my mother about this inheritance factor she tells me that she believes that her fathers aunt also had diabetes. That would make it five successive generations!

Of course greatgreataunt would also not have had insulin available to her as the work of Banting and Best in Canada was in 1922 - I think?

By the way, my Grandfather was not in any way obese or even slightly chubby - he was a thin little man.

I am 6', 154 Lbs (11 stone), and am of a highly athletic build....

Oh, all right then skinny!

Answer 10

Did the doctor call it Type I diabetes? This is caused when the pancreas doesn't create insulin. It can happen because of exposure to certain pathogens and poisons. Since the insulin can't move glucose into cells for energy, what's happening is that you're starving at the cellular level even though you may be eating quite a bit. for that reason, type I diabetes is associated with a lean build.

Type II diabetes is the one that happens when you are overweight because your pancreas is producing insulin, but it's not enough to counteract all the glucose you're introducing to the bloodstream by eating more food than you need.