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What You Don’t Know About The Diabetic Label Can Kill You

By: Julie Wanner Rossetti Lately, it seems like “diabetes” is in the news quite often. The definition of the word “diabetes,” according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is a disease caused by an insulin deficiency and characterized by excess sugar in the blood and urine.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 230 million people worldwide have diabetes. To me, this is not a statistic! The number 230 million are children and adults. These are all special people who deserve to live a happy and healthy life! They are family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even your pets. Yes, dogs and cats are getting diabetes. Diabetes is a deadly disease and the main goal is to kill victims. Sometimes, it kills them quickly and other times it’s a slow process from the complications. Diabetes doesn’t care who you are, the objective is to destroy lives.

Why then do we focus on a “deadly disease,” worse yet, the “diabetic label?” What is the “diabetic label?” It’s the label the medical profession, media and society as a whole are using. In fact, many family members and friends use it and don’t even realize it. When you call someone a “diabetic” you are calling them a deadly disease. They are a special person and deserve to be called by their name. The name they choose, not a disease you label them with. When you use the word “diabetic” you are not only being disrespectful to that individual, but you are causing emotional damage. Damage you don’t even see. This damage starts to affect the individual not only mentally but physically as well. I have witnessed it for over 25 years now.

I buried the “diabetic label” in 1979 and refuse to ever use it! Recently, I was at my book signing, when a lady came over to me and said, “My doctor called me a ‘sick diabetic’ and I’m so devastated, can you please help me?” She was in tears! I was angry at her doctor. Why did he/she have to label her? This is the emotional/mental abuse that has been going on for a long time. It’s just no one wants to talk about it. Well, I’m not talking about it either. I’m screaming at the top of my lungs about it. The “diabetic label” needs to be banned! Don’t ever use it around me, or you will be sorry! I’m here representing every single child and adult who has ever had to deal with the “diabetic label.” I care about you and I know what it feels like to be labeled a “diabetic.” If you are reading this and have diabetes or any other health challenge (that you have been labeled with) you totally understand. I’m here to protect you and all of my clients from this abuse. Enough is enough! Need I say more?

I just finished reading a New York Times article titled, “Looking Past Blood Sugar to Survive With Diabetes,” dated August 20, 2007 (available at http://www.nytimes.com archives by searching by title; registration is required). The article was written by Gina Kolata. This article states, “Mr. Smith has Type 2 diabetes and has become fixated on his blood sugar. He tried to control his diabetes but last year he had a life-threatening heart attack.” Diabetes cannot be controlled, beat or managed. Just try chasing after it and soon you will become not only mentally exhausted but physically too. “Mr. Smith was unaware that diabetes can affect the heart,” the article added.

The article continues, “Most people who have diabetes are treated by primary doctors who had just a few hours of instruction on diabetes, while they were in medical school. Then the doctors typically spend just 10 minutes with diabetes patients, far too little for such a complex disease, specialists say.” I totally agree!

Dr. Michael Brownlee, director of the JDRF International Center for Diabetes Complications Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York states, “It makes me ask, what is going on? I can only conclude that people are not aware of their risks and what could be done about them.” My response to Dr. Michael Brownlee: we need to stop focusing on the diseases and what we don’t want. Instead, bury diabetes and start living a healthy lifestyle! Wanna bury diabetes ... who ya gonna call? Julie, that’s me - the diabetes buster!

Any information provided in this article is not medical advice and should not be substituted for consulting with your own physician.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Julie Wanner Rossetti is the author of Diabetes Can Be Sweet ... Once You BURY It, and President of Diabetes Done Right, where she specializes as a diabetes consultant. Visit Diabetes Done Right.

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