If you weren't aware, Oprah did an entire episode today on diabetes. The silent killer, the demise of America. People are dropping like flies!!! Haven't you heard?
Okay, maybe I should give Ms. Oprah a little credit for putting this out there. It IS an epidemic. But she owes me a correction. Type 2 is an epidemic! Yes, more and more type 1s are popping up. For goodness sake, I know so many people who were diagnosed in the last 5 years...it's kind of insane. But type 1 is not the focus of Oprah's show.
Although she didn't exactly point that out. The show opens with diabetes being this silent killer, the demise of the population. She actually says that people are dropping like flies. Yep. Like flies. Dr. Oz helps her out with some tricky animation that shows insulin rejecting sugar and the pancreas secreting yellow goo and all sorts of lovely images.
After his little animation, he decides to threaten us all with the complications. Shoot to a 44 year old nurse in a dialysis unit. She's hooked to the machine, which "wooshes" in the background. A slightly soothing, yet annoying ocean sound. A sound that you know would be repeated so constantly that you'd go insane. On top of the dialysis, this woman has half a foot and a half a leg.
When that segment is over, Oprah FINALLY asks what type of diabetes this woman has. Dr. Oz pipes in that she has type 1. He distinguishes type 1 as being "genetic" and type 2 as being "lifestyle." Then he moves on.
What he moves on to is what outraged me the most, because face it...the rest of Oprah's episode is about the reversibility of diabetes. Type 2, but they never really mention it again. They just let everyone tune in halfway through the show and see that DIABETES IS REVERSIBLE! Oh my! Call out the National Guard!
Okay, overreacting and diverting from my point. Dr. Oz thinks I'm a BAD diabetic! Yep, he said so himself. He told Oprah and her millions of viewers that the amount of insulin you take is based on how bad of a diabetic you are. Now I believe he actually meant it that it's how bad your diabetes is, not that I'm actually a bad person for taking insulin. But boy, oh boy...could I strangle that man and call out a ban on his TV show right now!
Let me say something here: The amount of insulin you take has NOTHING to do with how good or bad your diabetes is, how good or bad of a person you are, or how good or bad your diabetes is controlled. NOTHING! I make the distinctions between all three because each aspect is vital.
First, insulin is based on a bodily need. It's largely to do with how much you weigh and overall body build. Larger person, more insulin to sustain you. It also has to do with your food choices...more carbs, more insulin. It has to do with hormones. Do not tell a woman that because she doubles her insulin before her period that she is a bad diabetic...you will not be happy after the fact. Not only those hormones, but all sorts of other hormones. Thyroid, cortisol, they all play an important role in how insulin is synthesized inside the body. I can't even list all the ways that insulin needs change based on bodily things...stress, emotion, activity. It is not because I am a bad diabetic!
Second, I feel like I'm generally a good person. I have a strong moral compass, a great passion for integrity, and I'm not going to steal your cat (unless it's super cute, then I might be tempted). But sometimes, I take a lot of insulin. Right now, I take a lot of insulin. Did my character suddenly change? Or maybe it's because I'm just generally a sucky diabetic. I must hate the diabetes gods, burn my logbooks, dismantle meters, and throw lancets at people for fun. Must be, because right now I take a lot of insulin.
The third and most important facet of this is that insulin needs are not dependent on control. My dad takes double to three times the amount of insulin that I do. He has a 6% A1c. Kerri at Six Until Me takes a third less than me and she has a 6 to 7% A1c. Me, I'm in the middle and right now my A1c is 9%. My dad doesn't put in much effort to this disease besides eating right. Kerri and I both put in countless hours managing our diabetes...her more so considering that whole pregnancy thing. Yet here we are.
Can I say it again? The amount of insulin you take has NOTHING to do with how good or bad your diabetes is!
Dr. Oz...oh Dr. Oz...I generally like what you have to say. You focus a lot on healthy living and I like that. You seem cool. And hey, you teach at Columbia University...my dream school. But hello!!!! Is anyone home in there?!
I sincerely hope that you are doing less damage in your teaching than you are in your public speaking. If you are telling future doctors that someone has bad diabetes because they need a lot of insulin or they are a bad diabetic because they need more insulin than you deem fit...well I might just fly up to New York and kick you in the shins myself.
Nice one linds...thanks for alerting me...I managed to only watch some bits...I watched the bit of Dr. Oz explaining what effect excess sugar has on your body...then I did watch the lady on dialysis and also an amputee...my heart goes out to her...when I first got diagnosed that was my biggest fear because that was all I saw about diabetes...10 years on it saddens me that the same stereo types are still alive and well....
Funnily enough I did have a doctor who I saw for 3 years (he was better than the endo that I was seeing) but he was in the same school of thought as Dr. Oz...he kept trying to get me to reduce my doses...the man was so insensitive that he once told me that I was using enough insulin to put down a cow....needles to say I never went back to see him again..... He was also a cardiologist...and he thought that he was qualified to see diabetic patients because as he said we all end up on his operating table anyway...Just seeing that and hearing Dr. Oz saying what he said has further proved why I need to finish this medical degree and we need more knowledgable doctors...
Ok- go onto Oprah.com and share your blog - I think it would open up some eyes at HARPO productions if you do! They say that they contact people and share emails so hold them to it. You are a great writer and very good at getting your point across. Now they need to do a show on Type 1 and change the stereo types. I already wrote to them and think that we all should - they need to now show Type 1 side!
Not only do they need to show the Type I side, they need to do a better job on Type 2!
I am type 1 diabetic for 3 years. I am now 55 years old. I was very disappointed that Dr. Oz focused on type 2 diabetes. What about type 1. Big, disappointing show. Do a show on Type 1 diabetes please.
I am type 1 diabetic for 3 years. I am now 55 years old. I was very disappointed that Dr. Oz focused on type 2 diabetes. What about type 1. Big, disappointing show. Do a show on Type 1 diabetes please.
I thought it was generally OK, and a very motivating show -- especially liked the "exercise is non-negotiable!" chant. I completely understood his comment to be a quick and rushed way to "generally" answer her insulin question. Did not place too much importance on it. In fact, it went right past me. What bothered me was that Bob Greene could write an entire book about living with diabetes and NONE of my 25 doctors have mentioned it to me at all. If America is going to be reading it as Oprah's bible for diabetics, I'd like to get my hands on it and see what I think...and hear what my physicians think about it too. Also how they were calling the lady with 122 BS a walking time bomb. I'm usually thrilled with any number that starts with a 1! Best of health to you all.
Lindsey, thank you so much for sharing this. I missed this show but now I see it wasn't such a big deal! I actually tried several times to get tickets to be in the audience for this taping (I wrote them, no I PLEADED with the producers 4 times) - but now I know why! I thought they were going to deal with Type 1 - but no, it was more of the Type 2 "rhetoric" (for lack of a better term) I've been Type 1 for 28 years! I am a 40 year old mom, wife, business owner, etc.. like you all. I love Dr. Oz - I highly respect him. But after what you're saying - ugh.... I'm getting SO FRUSTRATED, with how the media is portraying Diabetes!! You know what, instead of calling it Type 1 and Type 2, we should just change the name all together. Call it Diabetes, and us "Type 1" can create our own name!!! Any suggestions??
And when you go kick him in the shins, I'll be right behind you girlfriend!!
Lindsey, thank you so much for sharing this. I missed this show but now I see it wasn't such a big deal! I actually tried several times to get tickets to be in the audience for this taping (I wrote them, no I PLEADED with the producers 4 times) - but now I know why! I thought they were going to deal with Type 1 - but no, it was more of the Type 2 "rhetoric" (for lack of a better term) I've been Type 1 for 28 years! I am a 40 year old mom, wife, business owner, etc.. like you all. I love Dr. Oz - I highly respect him. But after what you're saying - ugh.... I'm getting SO FRUSTRATED, with how the media is portraying Diabetes!! You know what, instead of calling it Type 1 and Type 2, we should just change the name all together. Call it Diabetes, and us "Type 1" can create our own name!!! Any suggestions??
And when you go kick him in the shins, I'll be right behind you girlfriend!!
Dr. OZ is nothing more than a self serving quack!
Why would you listen to him for your info on Diabetes. First of all he is a surgeon and not an Endocrinologist. This just gives you an idea how docs are not trained in Diabetes only the bare essentials when the are not Endo's.
This guy is a real media whore. Appearing on a TV show dressed in scrubs is beyond silly.
Who is he going to operate on. Real docs don't wear scrubs outside the hospital. Be real OZ!
Do what your Endo and CDE guide you to do so you can accomplish a good life and are in control not only of your Diabetes but your life!
I very much enjoyed reading this! So funny, so true!
Naomi
livetolovediabetes.com
Ok, first the Type I's need to stop being so damn self-righteous. If he said that Type II is lifestyle and left it at that - that is JUST as dangerous about not distinguishing between types. There is a genetic component to Type II that can't be ignored. Type II is the epidemic facing the country though and affects 90% of people with diabetes, so it is reasonable that was the focus of the show, they just needed to be clear about it.
Now I know why I never watch Oprah, et al or ANY show with Suzanne Somers. This show may have alerted one or two people and gotten them to have an A1c done. For me, it's just one more proof that I need to stay with my diabetic team.
HI Lindsey,
All of your comments were right on the mark. Check out www.diabetesmine.com for Amy's comments from ignorant people and/or people who should know better. Type 1 is a minute by minute exercise. Dr Oz needs to be married to a type 1 diabetic wife and than he would have a better understanding. Happiness is a choice, laugh and realize that your knowledge is outstanding. As always have a great day.
I agree about there needing to be a show devoted to
T1 diabetes on the Oprah show, with Dr. Oz in attendanc (so he can be educated also), but what would make it powerful would be for the T1 dlife boggers to be there as a panel to take questions from viewers (you need to include Carey AND Charlie). Can your boss ask a bigwig at dlife contact the Oprah show?
I began to refer to Dr. Oz as Dr. Hollywood some time ago. I found early on that he as a so called medical professional, sometimes pushes misinformation and fear. It is people like him that make me feel deeply embarrassed to tell anyone that I am a type 2 diabetic. If type 2 is classified as a "lifestyle" or 'environmental' diease, then how does a slim person explain it if they have not escaped and they a decent diet, and who do excerise, but genetics is recking ball on one side of their family.
I've learned that Dr. Oz, like Oprah, goes with what will make a good story. I stopped watching Oprah a few years ago too.
I had a fair bit of respect for Oprah, but I probably will stop watching her show. It was insulting to both Type One and Type two people. Not only was it incredibly inaccurate about type 1, it was also just a big pile of 'you are a lazy fat cow, get off the sofa because it is all your fault and so are the healthcare costs in America - because, y'know, you need a pile of guilt to motivate you, right?'
No, I don't. Not every type 2 is overweight, many of us DO exercise. I understand why they are trying to motivate people but inaccurate scare tactics are a stupid way of going about it. There is also a genetic component to Type 2 - almost my whole family on my mothers side have it, and I only met them 2 years ago, I am adopted, so I didn't learn their lifestyle or anything! Was this mentioned? No, all diabetics basically just ate too many donuts.
Its so hard to deal with this disease, whichever type you have, and part of that is the ignorance of other people about it. Thankyou SO much Oprah for making these people think they are right, and making our lives harder.
As for blaming us for the healthcare costs....I am not costing you anything, love, because I can't afford to go to the Doctors! The state of healthcare is due to the completely sick system we have, don't blame diabetics.
oooh, I'm mad, can you tell?!