Type 2 Diabetes

What Not to Say to Someone With Type 2 Diabetes

These phrases may be stigmatizing, untrue, or demotivating.

Written by Marisa Taylor Karas | Reviewed by Preeti Parikh, MD

Updated on October 31, 2022

Featuring Nikki NurseReviewed by Preeti Parikh, MD | October 31, 2022

For Nikki Nurse, a jewelry designer and caregiver for her mom, having Type 2 diabetes required a mindset shift. At first, the stigma she experienced affected her mental health, and she didn’t feel motivated to take care of herself.

Today, Nikki embraces self-care and knows that having Type 2 diabetes is not a reflection of her worth and value. She’s an advocate to reduce the stigma of the condition and educate others about misconceptions.

Here are things Nikki says not to say to someone who has diabetes:

“Are you going to eat that?” - Portion control is key, and there are no “bad” foods that people with diabetes need to ban from their lives.
“Just eat less and move more. Stop being lazy.” - Everyone’s body is different, and rest days are beneficial.
“Stop eating sweets.” - You can incorporate sweets into a diabetes-friendly diet, especially if you plan ahead and be mindful of the other foods you’re eating throughout the day.
“You should have brought snacks with you.” - While it’s useful to keep a snack on hand to prevent low blood sugar, life happens. It’s unreasonable to expect people with diabetes to never be caught without a snack.

You can read more about Nikki’s experience with Type 2 diabetes here and how she manages her A1C here.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Diabetes and mental health.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Eat well.

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Preeti Parikh, MD

Dr. Preeti Parikh is a board-certified practicing pediatrician in New York City. In addition to overseeing all editorial content at HealthiNation, she sees patients at Westside Pediatrics, is an assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is an American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson.