Exploring Misconceptions About Diabetes

Video: What Is Diabetes?

When given a new diagnosis of diabetes, a person can have a hard time deciphering fact from fiction in terms of the best ways to handle the condition. Whether about which foods are OK to eat or which medications are appropriate for diabetes treatment, conflicting advice can make getting a handle on diabetes overwhelming. In order to help sort out this information, Riva Greenberg, a 55-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., diabetes educator and a type 1 diabetic, wrote 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And the 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It (Da Capo Lifelong Books), which was released in July. U.S. News talked with Greenberg about the book and what she's found to be the most common misconceptions about diabetes. Below is an edited transcript:

Your book divides diabetes myths into several types. Let's explore them. What is the top "common myth" you think people should be aware of?
The most common myths have to do with eating—that eating sweets causes diabetes or that people with diabetes can't eat sugar. A lot of people think they got diabetes because they were eating too much cake. But we know that diabetes is based on genetics, sedentary lifestyle, and other risk factors. It's not directly that if you eat sugar, you're going to get diabetes.

When people get diabetes, one of their biggest obstacles is they think, "Well, I can't eat anything I like anymore." That's absolutely not true. If you absolutely adore ice cream, you can have it, just have less of it and have it less often.

What's the top "medical myth" you think people should know about?
One myth would be that diabetes medications make you gain weight. By and large, that was true years ago. But newer medications like Byetta, for instance, actually promote weight loss. Another myth is that if your doctor manages your diabetes, you don't have to concern yourself. I think there's a lot of feelings by patients that they just do what the doctor tells them to do. They don't really have the education and the understanding to make good daily decisions for themselves. So healthcare providers have to give us the information. We have to get up every day and make the best decisions to help manage diabetes.

What is the top "food myth"?
One is that there's one specific diabetic diet that diabetics should follow. What's really true today is anyone with diabetes should follow the same diet that's recommended for all Americans: lots of grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and sweets in moderation. It really comes back to the idea that you can eat anything, just in moderation and in smaller portions. Another common myth is that healthful foods won't raise blood sugar. Even fruit can raise blood sugar.

What do you consider to be the top "body-fitness myth"?
One is that diabetics have to lose a lot of weight for their conditions to improve. People really think they have to drop 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds. But just by losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight, it can make a huge difference. Another myth is that exercise isn't important for managing diabetes as long as you take your medication. We are discovering every day how important exercise is. Exercise is just so much more valuable than most people realize, not just for weight loss. It has other benefits as well.

What is the top myth in the category you call "practical and practices"?
One is that diabetics who need insulin pumps have worse conditions than others. The opposite is true. People who wear insulin pumps tend to have better blood sugar control. It's really just another delivery system for insulin. It just looks bad if someone has to wear that little machine.

And why did you write a book on all these diabetes myths?
I got type 1 diabetes when I was 18. Just before I turned 50, I lost my job, and I saw a diabetes educator for the first time. I realized how critical it is to have proper information, and I realized if I took really good care of myself, then maybe I won't end up getting major complications. I realized that learning the truth was very valuable.