Dr Gareth Nye

If diabetes is the joke, what is the punchline? Gracie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 1, not through eating too many sweets or chocolate but because her body decided to attack the cells of the pancreas. Unfortunately Easter is normally a prime time for jokes from all sorts of people linking indulgence and sweets with the condition. Jokes are often seen as harmless, however they perpetuate the stigma and misunderstanding of serious conditions, in this case diabetes. Diabetes in general is a condition where a person is unable to handle the breakdown products of carbohydrates (sugar) in a way a non-diabetic person would. This is important because the cells in our body rely on sugar to get energy, but this has to be done in a controlled way. People with diabetes have an issue with insulin specifically. There are many different types of diabetes including gestational diabetes, which is seen in pregnancy, and steroid induced diabetes, which is brought on by medications. The two most well-known types however are type 1 and type 2. What doesn’t cause diabetes is eating too much chocolate! It ranges from your genetics to viral loads and even your vitamin D levels! In 2012, diabetes in total was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths globally. Often, it can be deadly before you’ve even released you are diabetic! What is more worrying when seeing public figures making jokes about diabetes is that there is increasing evidence of significant mental health concerns within children with type 1 diabetes with nearly 40% of type 1 diabetic children seeking assistance from mental health support teams. Gracie has completely owned her condition, playing sports and even going on TV. Diabetes hasn't stopped her doing anything she wants and won't stop her from eating chocolate eggs today! #foryou #fyp #chocolate #diabetes #type1diabetes #type2diabetes #Easter #easteregg #ysk #easteregg #t1d #type1warrior

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