Boy did Oprah and Dr. Oz step in deep!

I wasn’t planning on writing about this today, but after spending all morning reading through my blog roll and message boards, I couldn’t let it go. I can’t comment on the Oprah Show personally because I didn’t see it. However, I did write in on Tuesday PLEADING for them to be responsible with their words and actions. From what I have read, it looks like they failed miserably.

Here are the main points of concern from bloggers around the world, along with my comments:

There were many rounds of inaccurate information. For example: T1 diabetics are born with the disease and that diabetics should manage their sugar intake. My daughter was diagnosed at 4 and my son at 10…they weren’t born with the disease. And we count carbs, not sugar. You would think that the cardiologist who preaches fat intake on the Oprah show would know that buying sugar free products is NOT going to help the T2’s out there. All they will be doing is trading sugar for fat. (I don’t even think you need to be a doctor in order to draw that conclusion…HELLO????)
There wasn’t one Diabetes expert on the show. Not an Endocrinologist or a Certified Diabetes Expert…no one. That right there is shameful and the reason why now millions of viewers have their heads filled with bad Intel. There was no one to lend reasonable and accurate responses.
Shaming the T1 in the hospital. That woman has probably made mistakes, sure, but she didn’t deserve to be the “tool” to scare diabetics. One of the largest problems with ALL diabetics is the feelings of guilt and failure. Mainly because we are surrounded by people who watch shows like Oprah and now feel they have all the information they need to tell us what to do. The biggest issue on the message boards is diabetics being so tired of family and friends. “Just quit eating sugar and you won’t need insulin” “You can’t be diabetic, you aren’t fat…there must be something else wrong” “if you have diabetes that means you are a lazy slob.” That list could go on for pages and pages and has brought me to tears just writing about it.
There was very little positive information. I think it would have been wonderful for the show to show off some T2’s, and some T1’s for that matter, that are living full healthy lives.

CALL FOR ACTION

First I am going to ask that you read three blog posts, they deserve to be read. They point out what I have mentioned above and more. They are well written and are straight to the point. Then I would ask that you read the comments on each page. The amount of thoughtful responses is astounding.

Sixuntilme- Kerri has a good section about the impact of the show with regards to shame and guilt.

Ninjabetic The Bad Blog – George lists out the “fails” of the show.

D-Mom Blog-Leighan gives perspective as a Parent of a Diabetic. This one hit me pretty close, because I too have have diabetic children who are T1’s and are very healthy and happy.

Then, I am going to ask that you write Oprah and Dr. Oz. I know that most of you watched the show, so you have your own perspective. Their audience is way too big to leave their lack of responsibility alone. They owe it to the people who they just ill informed for 4o minutes. They owe it to the Diabetics, all of us…Type 1, Type 2, LADA, Gestational, Parent/Caretakers of Diabetics. They need to HEAR US. They need to understand us. Write them, tell them you are upset. Tell them to fix their mistakes. Tell them how you live each day as positively as you can and that you work hard to keep your Diabetes in check. Send pictures. Send videos. This is your chance to stand up and help lead the way.

You can write the Oprah Show by clicking HERE