To be clear, I have total compassion for those with Type 1 or juvenile diabetes. That is a completely different medical situation. However, I believe Type 2 diabetes is essentially a result of personal negligence. There are obvious red flags that, if addressed, prevent the condition from developing. Even after diagnosis, drugs exist to manage it if someone refuses to change their habits. It can even be reversed in some instances through better living. I struggle to find pity for a condition triggered by inactivity and solvable by simply being active.
Would your perspective shift if I provided evidence that DNA is a major factor in weight gain and, by extension, Type 2 diabetes?
Individuals in poverty often lack access to nutritious options, frequently relying on junk food because it’s cheap and easy. Furthermore, they might not even realize they are becoming diabetic due to limited medical care. Even with a diagnosis, the price of necessary medicine can be prohibitive.
Even if we grant that Type 2 diabetics are responsible for their condition, why does that prevent you from empathizing with their suffering? I don’t follow that logic; could you elaborate?
It isn’t actually that straightforward. While some Type 2 diabetics might be overeaters, others develop the condition due to psychiatric medications. In my situation, I have schizophrenia and have taken antipsychotics for nearly a decade. They work, but they ruined my metabolism. I had no weight issues before the illness, but now I’m 15kg over and pre-diabetic. Despite losing 20kg previously through a brutal diet, the pre-diabetes stayed, and the weight returned once I ate normally. I also walk constantly—an hour every day. So, my pre-diabetes isn’t my fault, and it won’t be my fault if it progresses and shortens my life.
Something overlooked: A primary driver of Type 2 diabetes is the massive amount of sugar in processed diets. This sugar causes obesity and subsequent diabetes. Research suggests sugar is incredibly addictive. While lifestyle changes like high-fiber, low-sugar diets can help clear liver fat, people face real withdrawal when cutting carbs. I dealt with weeks of intense cravings myself. My question is: Do you lack sympathy for those who started smoking decades ago and now can’t quit despite the health consequences?
Where exactly do you set the boundary for compassion? Does a driver deserve less sympathy if they are hurt in a crash resulting from a choice? What if they made a driving error? What about a former smoker who gets cancer 20 years after quitting? Or an athlete whose joints fail? I’d ask if ‘choice’ is truly your metric or if there’s an underlying bias. Also, there’s a major genetic component to Type 2; some people get it despite the same behaviors as others. Does having that genetic risk earn more sympathy, or is it only the ability to manage it that matters to you?
You’re describing the vast majority of diabetics, but it’s not their fault as you assume. Type 2 means the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin for energy. This failure happens for many reasons: genetics or other diseases, hereditary predispositions requiring extreme diets to avoid, or lifestyle factors. It’s unfair to generalize all Type 2 diabetics as lazy. Many simply lost the genetic lottery. Also, warning signs aren’t universal—fit people get it while some unhealthy people don’t. Medication ‘manages’ but doesn’t ‘cure’; insulin can actually cause weight gain and dangerous side effects. Finally, there is no cure, only rare cases of remission.
Claiming people can simply avoid getting diabetes is incorrect for several reasons. First, while signs exist, people often mistake them for minor illnesses or can’t afford a doctor. Second, many can’t pay for meds or don’t have the time and money for a ‘healthy’ diet. Third, many diabetics simply lack the time required to maintain that lifestyle.
I’m a Type 2 diabetic who doesn’t need insulin, and I disagree with you. To your points: 1. I had no obvious symptoms besides waking up to pee, which I thought was just from hydration. 2. Medication doesn’t make us lazy. I take Metformin, but it hasn’t drastically changed my life; I was active and thin (145 lbs) when diagnosed. We still don’t fully understand the causes. 3. It’s not curable; that’s a myth. One bad day of eating will still spike my levels dangerously. I have to be incredibly careful with food just to survive, often more so than healthy people. Your view is based on misinformation that leads to social stigma.