My daughter came home today and stated her health teacher told her it's the persons "fault" if they have type 2 diabetes. I am insulin dependent after having a severe infection following a gallbladder surgery. My pancreas just gave up over time and I no longer produce insulin. My daughter came home very upset saying that I could stop being diabetic if I wanted to and it's my fault. I explained to her what happened, and she seems to understand, but what about the teacher. I don't think it's very appropriate for him to be saying this to the kids. Yes, weight is part of the equation for type 2 diabetics, but to play the blame game I feel is inappropriate. Should I say something to him? If so, what? I'm not good with any sort of confrontation or challenge, but for other kids out there whose parents are diabetic, maybe he should tone down his opinions?
I hear your pain. Talk to the school. The health teacher should know her stuff or not be teaching health..... Complain.
My daughter just showed me her class notes: "to keep the types of diabetes straight remember "type 2 is on you". Now I'm mad. This is not OK. Even when a type 2 loses weight, they are not necessarily "cured", they are sort of in remission, always having a genetic predisposition to glucose intolerance and later on down the road are at risk for reoccurance despite their weight. It's not just their weight and there are many factors that play into it.
I would definitely talk to the principal or whoever is her supervisor. Come with some material clarifying the complexity of Type 2. I would also perhaps involve the school counselor who will understand and can talk with the principal of the negative effect this would have on the children of diabetics who think, like yours did "she could get over it if she wanted to". Yikes, how ignorant and unprofessional!
You should hire a gang of teenagers to egg and TP his house.
This sort of crap makes me so mad. Yes, you should straighten him out.
Ditto the crew of replies! You should for sure say something KrabbyKelly, if not to him then to the school officials who pay him. He is not paid to be giving opinion to kids he is paid to be teaching facts about health. I would like to see the curriculum guide he is using and know if it states that bit of ignorance. Go get him...and you've got every right to be mad!!
disgraceful crap from the past and ancient ada notes. I agree with all the other posters here. This type 2 30 year plus diabetic finds this crap offensive. I got a dose of this a couple of years ago at a diabetics support group and it was a actual school teacher doing this.
And just to pound on the FACTS: Obesity doesn't cause diabetes. If it did, we'd have tens of millions of full-blown diabetics in the US -- after all, there are way, way, way more fat people than diabetics. And there are plenty of trim T2's out there (me, for instance).
T2 is caused by a genetic defect, more diplomatically called a genetic predisposition. Obesity is one of the risk factors for triggering that genetic flaw leading to Metabolic Syndrome.
The latest research is rapidly narrowing in on high-carb diet as a chief cause of insulin resistance. Researchers have found that chronic high insulin levels, in people genetically predisposed to insulin resistance, leads to it. High carb diets cause high levels of insulin, over and over, day in and day out.
Once the insulin resistance starts, it becomes a positive feedback problem -- insulin levels are higher and higher all the time, causing increasing impairment of insulin transport across adipose, muscle, and hepatic cell membranes.
The molecular changes in cellular insulin receptors has been determined to some extent. The metabolic pathways that lead to these changes, insulin saturation playing a role, have been determined partially as well.
I've been a "low carb diet", carbs-are-bad-for-you skeptic for a long time. I've been convinced otherwise in the last 3 months based on everything I've found doing independent survey of research material. I'm trying to get my daily carbs down under 50, and after I get there, I'm going to try a ketogenic diet (<25g/day) for a few weeks and see how I feel. I might not even need to take insulin -- my T2 pancreas is still making the stuff, just not anywhere near enough. It might @ 25g/day.
Do you know of any good "lay person" type articles I could print to give to him? I'm sure if I go in without evidence, he will think this is my opinion and not fact. Thanks in advance!
GREAT IDEA! What about the health teacher? TP is especially bad if rain is forecasted.......
Here are some good ones from a pretty reputable source: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/causes/index.aspx#type2
notable if nothing else: Scientists think genetic susceptibility and environmental factors are the most likely triggers of type 2 diabetes.
Thanks!
https://www.ndhealth.gov/diabetescoalition/DrJohnson/No67%20Type%202's%20'Ominous%20Octet,'%20Doc%20Johnson%20COLUMN,%20MAY%2021,%202010.pdf is a pretty succinct summary of a pretty heavy article I found when Brian posted Ralph Defronzo's name, I looked him up and read it and it certainly helped me see T2 in a new way which proves the health teacher is, in fact, full of crap. Which makes one wonder what other subjects he is deficient in.
Awesome! Thanks! This guy may not know what hit him come Monday! I will however be polite, don't like to stoop to stupidity's level!
T2 is on you...what kind of morons do schools higher? At least do your research first instead of spouting all sorts of old nonsense!
I agree with all the others who said you should go to the school. And that teacher should issue a retraction when he comes to his senses.