“A touch of sugar”. “Sugar diabetes”. “The less serious diabetes”.

These are all terms that people use to describe type 2 diabetes. Sadly, they are all inaccurate. There is no such thing as a “less serious diabetes” or “a touch of diabetes”. You either have it or you don’t.

In most people type 2 diabetes takes a number of years to develop. Many report they are monitored by their doctors or diagnosed with pre-diabetes but aren’t advised to make changes to prevent the progression from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes.

If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, it’s important to be pro-active and seek out a healthcare team to support you in managing your health.

Areas to focus on

• Eat healthy, most of the time. Find an accredited practising dietitian to help you examine what you eat and drink and how to make it healthier. We are the sum of our many decisions so by making your eating choices default to the healthiest choice available your health will always be better.
• Move your body more. Find an accredited exercise physiologist to assess your fitness and write an exercise plan for you. Never say never when it comes to physical activity. There is a smorgasbord of exercise choices out there to choose from.
• Consider if you need to lose weight: your doctor may advise you on this and your dietitian and exercise physiologist’s advice will help you achieve your goal. Remember, it has taken a long time for the weight to go on so the most effective way to reduce it permanently is to make small consistent changes over a long period of time, not go on a crash diet.
• If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: find a credentialled diabetes educator to help navigate the nuts and bolts of diabetes including identifying your target ranges for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol and where you stand in relation to them, learning how to monitor your blood glucose, and making sure you have a sick day management plan.
• Follow your doctor’s advice about medication: many people who are diagnosed with diabetes are reluctant to take medication, but research shows aggressive management early on helps prevent longer-term complications. If you have any questions about medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time of day to take the medication, how it works in your body and if there could be any side-effects.

By taking your health seriously and making changes you can enjoy a better quality of life for longer, which is what we all want.

Diabetes Australia delivers face to face and online programs on behalf of the NDSS to help you understand and manage your type 2 diabetes.

By Dale Cooke APD