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The Question
10/07/09 07:26 PM

"is it true that a tipe 1 diebetic teenager can eat anything they want as long as they use insulin withot afecting their health?"
Asked By: lizquezada  
Category: Food and Nutrition

Background Info Hide
my brother's nutritionist told him that he could eat anithing he wanted because he was so young to start taking foods off his diet. my brother is turning 15 on friday, he was diagnosed when he was 13 years old, ever since his eating habitts got worse he eats a lot of junck food, greasy foods, and a lot of sweets. he does this very confident because his nutritionist told him he could. the only thing she said was to never forget his insulin. but he even wakes up in the middle of the night to eat when his blood sugar is low, but he doesn't eat just something to get his sugar up he eats a whole meal then puts more insulin and goes to bed. So his blood sugar levels are always too high like 300 even 400. he does not lisen to us because the "nutritionist and the doctor" agree on the same thing. Is this realy true? we want my brother to start taking care of what he eats but he doesn't lisen is there anything we can do to help him get motivated in changing his eating habbits?

Expert Answers (1)

10/08/09 10:24 PM

Dear lizquezada, I think you are right to question the advice that was given regarding not worrying about diet as long as insulin is being taken. Overeating can lead to obesity. Obesity in a type 1 can lead to insulin resistance, which leads to the need to take a larger dose of insulin. Overweight people often have high blood pressures, which can lead to heart disease and kidney damage, among other problems. I think what the dietitian meant to say was that matching carbohydrate intake with the appropriate amount of insulin can keep blood sugars under control. However, it appears to me that your brother is not taking enough insulin and his blood sugar is not under control. People with type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing other autoimmune diseases. One of the common diseases we see is rheumatoid arthritis at a relatively young age. I encourage your brother to attend a diabetes self management education course and learn how to manage his diabetes appropriately.
Answered By: Janice Fisher
Accreditations: RD, LD, PHD, CDE, BC-ADM
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Community Answers (1)

10/11/09 08:10 AM

Somtimes I think idiots advise people. Eathing a smart healthy diet no matter if there taking insulin or not. There are limits on all of us, we cant eat cake and ice cream all day long. This type of eating will lead to serious problems down the road. Thing is the experts told him he could eat what he wanted to. So thats all he is going to hear in his mind, sad to say until he realizes he cant keep living like that its going to be hard to change his thinking, my mother in law was just like that, if the doc said you can do this is was gospel to her.
Answered By: furball64801
FLAG
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