Thin people can’t get type 2 diabetes, and other myths
When I was 12, my well-meaning uncle told me I could "catch diabetes" from eating too much candy. Of course, his advice was likely a scare tactic to help me tame my overactive sweet tooth. I later found out that while loading up on sweets is not a direct cause of diabetes, sugary foods can trigger the condition in someone with prediabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a complicated and often deceptive disease—and popular misconceptions can make it tricky for a person to be diagnosed and effectively manage their condition. Public-health officials estimate that of the 24 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, and nearly one-quarter are unaware they have the disease. Our recent diabetes survey also revealed confusion when it came to listing risk factors, symptoms, and complications related to type 2 diabetes.
One such risk factor, obesity, brings us to another big diabetes myth: You have to be overweight to develop diabetes, and thin people can’t get the disease. While there’s no doubt that obesity is a major contributor to type 2 diabetes, genetics also play a role. Blood sugar levels can increase even in thin people and our experts recommend that people aged 45 and older have their blood sugar checked every three years.
If you think you might have diabetes, don’t listen to the myths—even the well-meaning ones from our relatives can mean delayed detection and treatment. Know the risk factors to look out for and talk to your doctor about your blood sugar.
—Ginger Skinner
Test your diabetes smarts and take a look at more diabetes myths. Find out more on other types of diabetes, save money on diabetes drugs with our free Best Buy Drugs report, and find out which drugs work best (subscribers only).
Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt
Posted by: Signs of Diabetes in Kids | Nov 3, 2009 10:37:40 PM
Thank you for posting a nice blog.
For me anyone can have diabetes it's just that many obese people usually gets diabetes because of the food they eat, But still being thin is not an exemption. There are people though thin suffer from diabetes because in the history of their family some has diabetes and it was pass through them when they are born. Maybe that is also one of the reasons why some children at their young age have prediabetes. Because many of them were not guided about the good eating habits the prediabetes worsen and then they can have type 2 diabetes when they grow up.
So for me it's really a must to teach people either young or old about the benefits of having a good balanced diet and the ways to control lots of sugar consumption in the body so they can also control diabetes.
Posted by: Alyssa Bellrose | Oct 30, 2009 1:57:20 PM
Thin people can get diabetes because my brother is 120 pounds and he is as thin as a twig.
HA So beat that information
Posted by: Stella | Aug 3, 2009 5:57:50 PM
It's not only possible for thin people to get type 2 diabetes, it's possible for people to contract type 1 as adults. I should know--was diagnosed almost four years ago. And my "juvenile" days are long past...
Posted by: Sasha Bay | Jul 31, 2009 9:56:53 PM
You know, for me, I think its really possible that thin people can also get diabetes, because we all know that there are people who are not really easy to gain weight but we can't say that they are not able to have diabetes because it still depends on the food they are eating.
Posted by: Me | Jul 31, 2009 1:38:28 PM
I weigh 110lbs at 5'2". I had gestational diabetes. I didn't worry I would get GD because I was not overweight, ate healthy, and was not in the minority group that was at risk. I did get it though because diabetes runs in my family.
My husband is a type I, and I was actually asked (by the very few I told), if I "caught it" from him! It was also assumed I would have to get a C-section. The healthy baby came early and naturally thank you very much.
Don't listen to the myths and get yourself tested if you suspect it.
Posted by: M. | Jul 31, 2009 10:06:28 AM
Medical science has known for close to 50 years that being fat and eating sweets does not cause diabetes yet the myths persist to this day.
Gaining weight is one of the most commonly overlooked signs of type II diabetes - it's a sign of insulin resistance, something not all type II diabetics have. If you have been gaining weight for no reason, or are trying to lose weight but nothing comes off, insulin resistance may be involved and you may have diabetes or what's called "glucose intolerant", sometimes called 'pre-diabetes".
Just being fat will not cause diabetes, and only a percentage of fat people have diabetes and/or insulin resistance. Genetics is a huge factor.
Another huge myth is that losing weight "cures" diabetes. The problem is that studies have shown that changing eating habits -> weight loss -> better diabetes control, not one study has looked to see whether it's the change of the eating habits or the weight loss itself that is the cause. The assumption that it must be the weight loss is scientific hokum. [There have already been studies, for example, that show that increasing exercise *without weight loss* can vastly improve cardio health.]