Diabetes concern

[BrokenGirl]

I was reading a book yesterday and there was a section on diabetes. I had to put the book away in the end, I was getting so scared of the horrendous side effects of it. I'm in a bit of a panic over it now, especially for my 2 children (12 and 18 yrs).
Since lockdown there has been a lot of sugary food eaten, which I have decided I'm going to put a stop to. But when I look back over the past few years, there's been a lot of junk/sugary food eaten in our house. A lot of good food too - at least I would cook a dinner from scratch a lot of days, I know of some people who would just eat processed food most of the time.
I'm worried now has all this junk food given my children diabetes.
Neither of them is overweight or anywhere near it. And I know that fizzy / sugary drinks are extremely bad for you, but thankfully we don't drink too many of these. The biggest culprits are probably small bars and biscuits.
Would it be obvious if they had developed diabetes, type 1 or type 2? And please don't give me a long list of symptoms. I know a few and don't want to know anymore due to my HA.
I also read that a lot of people are walking around with diabetes and don't know it, which is making it worse for them.
I'm just after getting scared - what if it's too late to change it? Am I being irrational?

[Carnation]

Just a bit BrokenGirl :hugs:
In my youth we probably had the most sugary stuff given to us. And it was acceptable to get yourself a big bag of sweets on the way to school and I mean big!
It was also common to drink coke all day long, eat biscuits and cake and a nice helping of roly poly and custard. It was the fashion to have 3 or 4 teaspoons of sugar in your tea and coffee and have a giant Mars bar as a snack.
Today's portions are smaller, we are managing what we eat more carefully and sugar has been cut in most products. No full flowing bags of sweeties for a pound or less anymore.
Googling is the devil for scaremongering and if we read all the articles we wouldn't eat anything! x

[Pamplemousse]

I was reading a book yesterday and there was a section on diabetes. I had to put the book away in the end, I was getting so scared of the horrendous side effects of it. I'm in a bit of a panic over it now, especially for my 2 children (12 and 18 yrs).

[...]

I also read that a lot of people are walking around with diabetes and don't know it, which is making it worse for them.
I'm just after getting scared - what if it's too late to change it? Am I being irrational?

Yes, you are (being irrational), but it also shows you care. Goodness me, I used to eat a lot of sugary stuff when I was a kid and yet I didn't develop it until I was fifty, after years of eating badly and more to the point, being in the category of "morbidly obese".

It's not too late to change it, no way. These days, it is now accepted that type 2 diabetes can be put into remission with changes to diet and lifestyle: it really wasn't so long ago you were told "that's it, you've got it now and you've got it for life - and it's YOUR fault." There's plenty of reliable sources online that give good advice on this matter regarding diet especially. Some of it is in the realms of "quack medicine", but as a start I'd recommend Michael Mosley's guidance on the matter.

With the dreaded C-word in our lives, I really wish that I had taken action six years ago when I was diagnosed to deal with this, but now I am in a category where I am told to stay at home as much as I can and wear a face covering if I go out.

It's not too late and it can be easily addressed :D

[WiseMonkey]

Hi you can have a blood test which could put your mind at rest. If it's within the normal range then you don't need another for 3 years as normal blood sugar levels rise quite slowly. Exercise is good for blood sugar levels too.

Type 1 is autoimmune and there's nothing much you can do to prevent it, mostly children and young people get it. Often it is genetic and other family members can have it.

Type 2 is mostly diet related and affects people as they age.

[BrokenGirl]

Thank you all for your replies.
Sometimes we just need someone to tell us we are being irrational. The joys of being in a HA spiral :ohmy:


I don't want to take them to the doctor to get tested, not when there isn't even any symptoms showing atm. That would only make them see how bad my anxiety is, which is something I try to hide from them as much as possible.


And just with regards to Type 1, I didn't realise it was autoimmune and pretty much out of our control who gets it. So that's something I'm not going to allow myself to worry about - what's the point.


I just got a fright when I was reading about diabetes in my book. But I will continue reading that book because I'm trying to turn my life around when it comes to diet, so no doubt I'll read a few more shocking things along the way!! But I'm determined to get healthy - a healthy body will help towards a healthy mind!!