If you think you’ve heard them all, think again. People come up with the strangest information in relation to diabetes, in general and more specifically, about diabetes in children. Whether it’s due to access to a plethora of scattered non-qualified information which they don’t really understand or due to an overactive imagination, there’s no way to tell.
- ‘You probably got it because you ate too much candy’ – is the most common myth, and perhaps one you’ve heard a million times from the older generation – absolute hot air! Sugar is definitely bad for you; there’s no denying that. It will give you a cavity or two and might even make you gain a few extra pounds, but it definitely does not cause diabetes.
- ‘Your child is little over weight. Maybe that caused the diabetes’ – Not at all-being overweight increases the risk for diabetes in those with a family history but unless a kid is seriously overweight it is highly unlikely that the weight issue is the cause of diabetes.
- ‘You shouldn’t exercise. You’ve got diabetes’ – total ignorance to believe that exercising will make a diabetic child more sick. On the contrary, it is lack of exercise and improper diet that causes diabetes in the first place. Exercise helps keep your sugar level in control.
- ‘I’ve got diabetes. All my children are sure to be diabetic’ – Not really- although diabetes is definitely a hereditary condition and the chances of getting it from the father are greater, it is not necessary that all the children in a family will have diabetes. Proper diet and exercise will reduce the chances of a child getting diabetes.
- ‘Eat less. That might help your diabetes’ – Not sure which genius came up with this? The key is to give children good food at regular intervals instead of starving them. A child’s diet must contain all essential nutrients and vitamins, or the food they are taking could cause more harm than good. Healthy nutritious meals taken in moderate amounts are all that is required for normal growth and well being of a child.
You’ve probably heard a few of these yourself and the weird part is that those who come up with these bizarre suggestions often believe they are absolutely right. Families with children who have diabetes should keep themselves informed by consulting Diabetes Education Centers, their family doctors, as well as, by reading about the latest research in the field from various Global Diabetes Associations such as Gluxus Health. Refrain from forming opinions based on street-wise stereotypes.
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