Bad Press

Maureen Chadwick • Feb 09, 2016

Whilst perusing the papers this week there seems to have been an unprecedented amount bad press around Diabetes.

Firstly, Diabetes on its own is going to bring down and bankrupt the NHS!

Diabetes is not the only long-term condition that people manage with polypharmacy (lots of medication).

At a Diabetes UK meeting, I spoke at on Wednesday evening there were people there extremely upset by these newspaper headlines.

Some rightly expressed, how having to be an activist within Diabetes UK knew these facts some ten years ago.

Another lady expressed her concerns over feeling guilty as if it was her fault.

That is not good!

Great news today you would think, drug companies merge for new drugs to the market.

Pharma companies promoting the fact that their new drug MAY reduces the onset of cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes).

These new medications will cost a fortune and there is still no real back- up evidence regarding the effect, these medications have on your kidneys when excreting sugar into your urine.

Then today an article about Halle Berry – The big news was she is 49 years old and flaunting herself in a see-through blouse.

Fair play to her if I looked like her I would most probably do the same.

Nah I do not think so!

As a sideliner they add the fact she has diabetes, they get her diagnosis wrong, she has Type 1 diabetes, not Type 2.

There is a difference but with regards to complications, there is not, they mention her ‘weak eyesight’.

Query do they mean Retinopathy?

Retinopathy is a serious complication, talk about it, understand it’s meaning, be empathetic.

This lady is an amazing advocate of how to lead as normal a life as possible, to not only break barriers in becoming a Hollywood A-lister but to do it whilst managing Type 1 diabetes.

So, when writing articles about people and including what is perceived as a ‘diabetes headliner’.

Remember there are people out there living their real lives, coping with real life issues, and trying to control a totally unpredictable condition 24 hours 7 days a week 365/6 days a year.

We all realise there is no real way is to stop this ‘time-bomb’ but ‘we’ can help and take responsibility.

Not just supermarkets, advertisers, marketing, the NHS, or the obese…… we are all responsible for aiding someone we know struggling with their Long-Term Condition.

First published LinkedIn, 21 August 2015

< Older Post Newer Post >