Are you ready for the next installment? I started the conversation about diabetes terminology a while back. There are a few more words I like to avoid using, for instance, “good” and “bad” when referring to blood glucose levels, people with diabetes (I especially loathe hearing someone say, “I’m a bad diabetic”), food, etc.
Blood glucose readings are just numbers. They help us make decisions. They are not good or bad. If you have chosen a target range where you’d like to see your blood glucose level hang out, you may refer to the numbers that aren’t in that range as “out of range”, “off my target” or something to that effect. I sometimes refer to blood glucose readings that I like to see as “happy” numbers. Using “good” and “bad” to describe blood glucose levels implies that the person is good or bad depending on what their number is. And this simply isn’t true.
There are definitely foods that are less healthy for us than others. I like to refer to these as healthy or unhealthy foods, rather than “good” or “bad” foods. Food has gotten a really bad rap and many people say, “diabetes means you can’t eat anything you like.” In addition, people often think “good” (good-for-you) foods are “bad” (taste bad). So if we strike “good” and “bad” from our food discussions, maybe we can help people understand that foods that are good for us can actually taste good too!!
That brings me to “cheat”. If someone without diabetes chooses to eat something that is high in calories or generally known to be unhealthy, no one really comments. Often when someone with diabetes eats that same food it’s considered “cheating.” How is that fair? Both people made a choice. They didn’t falsify anything or copy anyone’s work. They made a choice.
It’s easier to get these messages across to the general public if we avoid using terms like these on ourselves (and others). You really aren’t a “bad diabetic”, so don’t call yourself that. You aren’t a cheater (well, I guess I don’t know that for sure, but not as far as diabetes goes anyway…), so don’t call yourself one.
Ok, once again, stepping down from my soap box. Thanks.