Is diabetes a disease? Answer.  No, it is not.   On being trained 14 years ago by the well-known charity Diabetes UK, I  was advised not to refer to diabetes as a chronic disease, an acute disease, an auto-immune disease or a non-communicable disease(NCD) as that amounts to labelling people in a negative way. It should be referred to as a medical condition which is a far more acceptable and user-friendly term. Is there a cure for diabetes? Answer.  There is no known cure for diabetes and I hasten to add please do not send off to fake/false/phony social media websites for medication claiming that it can cure diabetes. However  some people with type 2 diabetes manage to lead a disciplined lifestyle  in terms of physical activity and diet and by so doing reverse the medical condition.  That  does not mean they have been cured because if they go back to eating unhealthily and not keeping physically active the diabetes will return. Where can I find reliable information about diabetes management/control and prevention? Answer.  Only visit reputable  online websites such as:

• www.diabetes.org.uk
• email Helpline@diabetes.org.uk
• Call 0345 123 2399 Mon- Fri  9.00 am to 6.00 pm  where trained specialists in several languages can assist you.
• www.diabetes.co.uk
• www.idf.org

NB. Health organisations/health authorities  in  some countries can  be a source of valuable information. Remember too that most countries have their own diabetes association as  a point of reference and joining one or forming a local diabetes support group should be encouraged. Does diabetes affect some ethnic groups more than  others? Answer. People from African, Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than White people. From  age 25 and a lower body mass index. White people age 40. Genetics/DNA/metabolism  + environmental factors: Overcrowding Stress which causes blood glucose levels to shoot up Racism and  sexism Poor diet Couch potato/sedentary lifestyle What are the diabetes figures for Britain? Answer. About 90% of people with diabetes have  Type 2.

• About 8% of people with diabetes have Type 1.
• About 2% of people have rarer types of diabetes.
•  5 million have diabetes and an estimated one million  have it but don’t know because they have not been tested for a  diagnosis.

What is the difference between type one and type 2 diabetes? Answer.  Type 1   diabetes has nothing to do with ethnicity, lifestyle, age, size or  gender  and can happen to anyone as the pancreas ( a six inch gland) behind the navel (belly button) which  produces the hormone insulin and regulates the food we eat and drink stops working completely. No one knows why and for the rest of that person’s life s/he has  to inject artificial/synthetic insulin up to three times a day  around the midriff to keep them alive. Only 8% of people develop type 1 diabetes. Type 2 of which 90%  of people with diabetes have this medical condition might be:

• Hereditary (runs in the family)
• Lifestyle
• The insulin being produced is not enough or not doing its job properly
• Overweight (too much fat around the belly/tummy)  although slim people can also develop it.

Is diabetes a ‘touch of sugar’ often heard especially in the Caribbean? Answer.  Absolutely not.  That is minimizing/trivializing (downplaying) this serious medical condition.  Indeed it is blood sugar or blood glucose but certainly not a ‘touch of sugar’ as if not managed/controlled it can lead to blindness, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, lower limb amputations and premature death.