Virtual Consults
We offer virtual consultation to help patients whose physical limitations make travel to the clinic impossible
July 31, 2016
Living With Diabetes | diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes
Have you seen “diabetes” memes? They might show up as candy lasagna or math problems such as “Johnny has 20 candy bars. He eats 12. What does Johnny have?”
On one hand, these are a clear indication that the general public is understanding that diet can play a factor in the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes, but they miss the point on a number of levels:
- One candy lasagna or 12 candy bars in a sitting likely won’t give anyone diabetes on their own.
- It is the long-term effects of diet, combined with genetic predisposition, that can accelerate the onset of diabetes.
- There is a whole community of people with Type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease, that bear the stigma that comes along with the notion that too many sweets or poor decisions lead to diabetes.
The BBC recently covered a campaign that took off under the hashtag #WhatDiabetesReallyLooksLike. Living with diabetes isn’t easy and we embrace the notion that community support means not having to go it alone.
The social awareness of living with type 1 diabetes is increasing through activity on Facebook and other social media channels. At BCDiabetes we are very conscious of this and provide a supportive Community to make life easier for the 30000 people in British Columbia with Type 1 diabetes. – Dr. Tom Elliott, BCDiabetes Medical Director