How what I thought I knew was wrong; what that means for people living with diabetes, and the important role of communication.

By Faith McMath

With Lisa away in Sierra Leone with the Help Madina charity to support local diabetes care, I was excited to represent LKOTT at the Diabetes UK conference.

I’m new to the diabetes world, having only been working with LKOTT for a few months. My background is in branding and communications, and while I’ve worked for a variety of healthcare clients over the years, this is a fairly unfamiliar field for me.

The plan was simple – explore the event, catch up with contacts, represent LKOTT and get learning about the key issues in diabetes care.

Surprising sessions

I was really surprised to find that some of the things I understood about diabetes were fundamentally wrong. And with my comms background I immediately started to wonder why.

It’s interesting that while diabetes awareness – particularly around Type 2 - has improved massively in the UK in recent years, some of the key messages just aren’t getting through.

Remission Recognition

One session I attended comprised four presentations exploring remission. It included a study on people living with Type 2 diabetes on a managed weight loss programme, which resulted in 46% successfully achieving remission. This is an impressive result – yet as a layperson I wasn’t even aware that remission was possible with Type 2 diabetes.

Clearly this is an important message for the public. My perception is that we are all aware of links between obesity and diabetes, but many of us assume that once you’re diagnosed, that’s that.

This is certainly true for my father who, once diagnosed with T2D, simply took his metformin and carried on as normal. Yet when told his cholesterol levels were high, he happily gave up butter and made other dietary changes.

Prevention…. Plus

It seems that the key message to the public currently is to manage your weight to avoid developing diabetes – which is very sensible. But I think there’s equal value in people understanding that the condition can be managed – it’s not a one way street.

I was also interested to understand that it’s not actually obesity that leads to T2D. It’s the result of too much fat in your liver and pancreas, and these fat levels can be rapidly reduced with weight loss.

To me, it made T2D seem less daunting. I really enjoyed hearing from Caroline who has lived experience of Type 2 diabetes. She successfully achieved remission through healthy eating, ultimately losing seven stone over two years.

She too highlighted that not enough people recognise that remission is possible. She also talked about her own experiences with healthcare professionals and the stigma associated with the condition.

Stigma and Sensitivity

This was a real eye-opener for me. Having contracted at a mental healthcare charity for a few years, I’m well aware of the stigma associated with mental illness and how this affects people professionally, socially and personally.

But it had never crossed my mind that people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes feel the same discrimination and negativity regarding their condition.

The afternoon session I attended really brought this to life, again with people sharing their own lived experiences and some research into misinformation. There are many diabetes myths circulating in society that exacerbate the negativity.

Misconceptions and Myths

Some of the most damaging – and incorrect - beliefs commonly include:

T2D is caused by eating too much sugar
Diabetes is your own fault
If you develop diabetes, your children will too
People with diabetes must never eat sugary food

In relation to this, I was amazed to hear that 50% of people miss or avoid healthcare appointments, partly because they experience stigma from the professionals they see.

It links back to a previous session in the day on the use of language and communication. People living with diabetes can be made to feel judged or that they have somehow failed – even though diabetes is as much about our genetic make-up and environmental factors than lifestyle.

This chimes with my own experience, where people I know with T2D have seemed embarrassed or sheepish about their diagnosis. It’s clear that stigma is at work, even within the healthcare environment.

Innovation and Communication

What I really took away from my time at DUK is that there are some big challenges for people living with diabetes, yet there are huge innovations, dynamic organisations and passionate professionals hard at work to help.

I got a real sense of energy, momentum and drive to make things better. That, paired with a focus on better communication about the condition, will drive a positive future.

Diabetes UK 2024: thoughts from a newbie