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Type 1 diabetes - basic notions

Myths

Let's talk about the myths of type 1 diabetes?

So that children are not unfairly targeted with misconceptions about diabetes, it is important to know the facts.

Myth 1

“You are diabetic because you ate too much sugar.”

FALSE.

There is no relation between Type 1 Diabetes and sugar intake. For type 1 diabetics, the pancreas merely stops producing insulin, which leads to an overload of sugar in the blood, or hyperglycemia. Some research findings suggest that genetic and environmental elements might be aggravating factors.

When you have type 1 diabetes, you get asked weird questions or hear funny statements

Myth 2

“Diabetes is a disease that affects overweight people.”

FALSE.

First of all, Type 1 Diabetes is not triggered by diet. In fact the opposite is true; one of the early symptoms of T1D is weight loss, since the child’s cells no longer have access to the energy created by carbohydrate transformation.

Secondly, while obesity has been identified as a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes and can be aggravated by a high carbohydrate intake, it is not the only factor.

Finally, it is important to understand that Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes have very different causes, even though their symptoms are similar.

Myth 3

“Women with T1D cannot have children.”

FALSE. Type 1 diabetic women can safely give birth to healthy children.
However women and their partner must make additional efforts to control this condition, including monitoring and frequently adjusting acute blood glucose.

Myth 4

“Diabetic children should limit their physical activity.”

FALSE. To remain healthy, diabetics and people in general should maintain an active lifestyle.

T1D children and teenagers can practice their favourite sports, as long as their daily diets and insulin doses are adjusted accordingly.

Many athletes with T1D have accomplished astounding feats in recent years. Take Sébastien Sasseville for instance who ran across Canada, from April to November, 2014, or closer to home, Etienne Masse, who completed his first marathon in August during the Montreal Marathon