Diabetes Everyday

Living your best life with diabetes. Toby Smithson provides professional guidance with personal experience.

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EveryDay Motivation

Get Toby’s Secrets For Staying Motivated – Keep a Record

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We’ve heard that the pen is mightier than the sword. So can the mighty pen help improve diabetes self-management? Toby says “absolutely”, and she can prove it.

Here’s our “trailer” for the record keeping video.
Want to improve weight management success or diabetes management effectiveness? It doesn’t get any simpler than simply keeping a pen and paper handy. Watch this video on record keeping and diabetes management.

Hoping for a Cure……But

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commentary by Toby Smithson—

Diabetes is rightly described as an epidemic. New estimates put the number of cases in the U.S. at just shy of 26 million in 2011, and nearly 2 million new adult cases were diagnosed in 2010. A paper entitled Projection of Diabetes Burden Through 2050: Impact of changing demography and disease prevalence in the U.S. published in Diabetes Care in November, 2001 (only 10 years ago!!) forecast that the number of cases in the U.S. would reach 29 million by the year 2050. We are well ahead of schedule. The “updated” estimate for 2050 is up to one-third of all Americans; plus or minus 100 million cases. We’ll likely make that 29 million by sometime in 2012. The worldwide figures are just as alarming.

Not surprisingly, research into causes, treatment and an ultimate cure is happening everywhere. And, enlightening and promising results are common. You’ll find information about these projects posted on DiabetesEveryDay.com almost every week. With literally hundreds of millions of dollars each year going to support research into diabetes and related metabolic conditions it is impossible to not be hopeful. And who could say the affected aren’t entitled to hope, and not just those of us with diabetes but also parents and spouses and children and friends. As you might imagine, after more than 40 years of managing my own diabetes daily (hourly) I could get pretty enthusiastic about a potential cure.

So, don’t take this wrong……………………………

Join or Log in to get a fresh look at diabetes self-management with DiabetesEveryDay in your cornercommentary by Toby Smithson–

Diabetes is rightly described as an epidemic. New estimates put the number of cases in the U.S. at just shy of 26 million in 2011, and nearly 2 million new adult cases were diagnosed in 2010. A paper entitled Projection of Diabetes Burden Through 2050: Impact of changing demography and disease prevalence in the U.S. published in Diabetes Care in November, 2001 (only 10 years ago!!) forecast that the number of cases in the U.S. would reach 29 million by the year 2050. We are well ahead of schedule. The “updated” estimate for 2050 is up to one-third of all Americans; plus or minus 100 million cases. We’ll likely make that 29 million by sometime in 2012. The worldwide figures are just as alarming.

Not surprisingly, research into causes, treatment and an ultimate cure is happening everywhere. And, enlightening and promising results are common. You’ll find information about these projects posted on DiabetesEveryDay.com almost every week. With literally hundreds of millions of dollars each year going to support research into diabetes and related metabolic conditions it is impossible to not be hopeful. And who could say the affected aren’t entitled to hope, and not just those of us with diabetes but also parents and spouses and children and friends. As you might imagine, after more than 40 years of managing my own diabetes daily (hourly) I could get pretty enthusiastic about a potential cure.

So, don’t take this wrong.

All of this promising research could actually be dangerous. Let me explain. If you have diabetes, or if someone you care about is affected by diabetes, then you know how overwhelming it can be.

If we commit to effective self-management, then our lives are partly consumed by diabetes. Our efforts here at DiabetesEveryDay are devoted to making effective self-management easier, but we never pretend we can make it easy. Those of us who live this life are familiar with the demands.

But, if we don’t commit to effective management, then the odds of debilitating and life threatening consequences (complications) are high. You probably know the menu of potential disasters already, but likely prefer not to think about the details.

So what if we all simply “decided” that a cure is imminent….if you read what I read (and what we post to DiabetesEveryDay) you could make a pretty strong case. We could trade our “hoping for a cure” for “waiting for a cure”…..anticipation. Those of us who now spend our days eating less than we’re tempted to eat, counting carbohydrate grams, exercising when we’d rather not, taking our medication, visiting our doctors, and looking for ways we could be even more effective could get that “diabetes” part of our life back. The “cure” will fix whatever damage we might do between now and then. And, those who have never committed to self-management in the first place could relax, and dismiss that almost imperceptible looming sense of terror for the payback that’s sure to come for diabetes ignored. The “cure” is within reach.

Or is it? I honestly don’t know, and I don’t mean for this to be a negative piece. The thing is, we all look for “closure”…..we aspire to complete a goal…..to get on to something else. It is very difficult to view something relatively unpleasant, like daily diabetes self-management responsibilities, as never-ending. The promise of a cure is real enough, and that promise can start looking like our finish line. That promise could actually be our finish line.

But coasting to the finish line only works when you’re going downhill, and managing diabetes well is not a downhill coast. So let’s hope for a cure, for ourselves and for those coming after us, but let’s not catch ourselves so overconfident that we lose focus on our main goal. To live a long, healthy and active life in spite of diabetes and in spite of the daily challenges we consistently overcome by keeping our commitment to managing diabetes well.

Social Media Can Provide Inaccurate Diabetes Information

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At a time when patients are increasingly turning to social media such as Facebook for information about medical conditions and their treatment, a new study raises disturbing questions about the accuracy of the information on these sites.

The researchers, who examined the 15 largest Facebook communities dedicated to diabetes, found  “tentative support” for the health benefits of social media in the management of chronic disease — evidence of patients sharing valuable insights into their conditions not typically available through traditional medical channels as well as evidence of community-building where emotional support is abundant. However, 1 in 4 comments on these sites were promotional in nature, generally for non-FDA approved products, raising important concerns about the authenticity of participants on Facebook networking sites dedicated to diabetes.

The researchers also identified numerous incidences of surveys, marketing pitches and efforts to recruit patients for clinical trials where the true identity of the poster could not be confirmed.

“Clinicians should be aware of these strengths and limitations when discussing sources of information about chronic disease with patients. Policy makers should consider how to assure transparency in promotional activities, and patients may seek social networking sites developed and patrolled by health professionals to promote accurate and unbiased information exchange,” concluded the research team.

William H. Shrank, MD, MSHS, senior author of the study stated that, “To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to analyze in detail the quality of the information that people with diabetes are sharing with each other through Facebook.” “There are certainly public health benefits that can be garnered from these sites — but patients and doctors need to know it is really the Wild West out there.”

“The study outlines meaningful benefits that patients may experience when participating in these sites, such as self-education, information sharing and community support. However, we also saw little quality control around promotional and data gathering activities, and patients and policy makers should take note of that.”

The 15 diabetes-related Facebook sites had an average of 9,289 participants. The researchers evaluated 690 individual postings on wall pages and discussion boards written by 480 unique users. Among the findings are:

  • A majority of posts (66 percent) are individuals describing their personal experiences with managing diabetes;
  • Nearly one-quarter of the posts (24 percent) represent sharing of personal information that is unlikely to be shared between patient and doctors, such as individuals discussing carbohydrate management in the setting of alcohol consumption;
  • Twenty nine percent of the posts are by diabetic patients providing emotional support to others grappling with aspects of that disease;
  • Thirteen percent of the posts are providing specific feedback to information requests by others in the diabetic community;
  • Twenty seven percent of the posts feature promotional activity and first person testimonials around non-FDA approved products and services.

This study shows the many ways that patients are benefitting from social networks but it is critically important for patients to understand the need for fact-checking.

 At a time when patients are increasingly turning to social media such as Facebook for information about medical conditions and their treatment, a new study raises disturbing questions about the accuracy of the information on these sites.

The researchers, who examined the 15 largest Facebook communities dedicated to diabetes, found  “tentative support” for the health benefits of social media in the management of chronic disease — evidence of patients sharing valuable insights into their conditions not typically available through traditional medical channels as well as evidence of community-building where emotional support is abundant. However, 1 in 4 comments on these sites were promotional in nature, generally for non-FDA approved products, raising important concerns about the authenticity of participants on Facebook networking sites dedicated to diabetes.

The researchers also identified numerous incidences of surveys, marketing pitches and efforts to recruit patients for clinical trials where the true identity of the poster could not be confirmed.

“Clinicians should be aware of these strengths and limitations when discussing sources of information about chronic disease with patients. Policy makers should consider how to assure transparency in promotional activities, and patients may seek social networking sites developed and patrolled by health professionals to promote accurate and unbiased information exchange,” concluded the research team.

William H. Shrank, MD, MSHS, senior author of the study stated that, “To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to analyze in detail the quality of the information that people with diabetes are sharing with each other through Facebook.” “There are certainly public health benefits that can be garnered from these sites — but patients and doctors need to know it is really the Wild West out there.”

“The study outlines meaningful benefits that patients may experience when participating in these sites, such as self-education, information sharing and community support. However, we also saw little quality control around promotional and data gathering activities, and patients and policy makers should take note of that.”

The 15 diabetes-related Facebook sites had an average of 9,289 participants. The researchers evaluated 690 individual postings on wall pages and discussion boards written by 480 unique users. Among the findings are:

  • A majority of posts (66 percent) are individuals describing their personal experiences with managing diabetes;
  • Nearly one-quarter of the posts (24 percent) represent sharing of personal information that is unlikely to be shared between patient and doctors, such as individuals discussing carbohydrate management in the setting of alcohol consumption;
  • Twenty nine percent of the posts are by diabetic patients providing emotional support to others grappling with aspects of that disease;
  • Thirteen percent of the posts are providing specific feedback to information requests by others in the diabetic community;
  • Twenty seven percent of the posts feature promotional activity and first person testimonials around non-FDA approved products and services.

This study shows the many ways that patients are benefitting from social networks but it is critically important for patients to understand the need for fact-checking.

 

Food Diary Shown to Double Successful Weight Loss Efforts

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The results of a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine demonstrates that despite our best intentions, most people grossly underestimate portion sizes and calories eaten when they don’t measure their food. The researchers found that the more detailed food records that were kept by study participants, the more weight they lost. Those with the most meticulous recordkeeping lost twice as much as those who kept no track at all. And they were able to keep the weight off as long as they continued to record in their journal.

It isn’t that people are trying to be dishonest with food tracking, as they are only hurting themselves. The problem is we like to snack between meals or grab a few jelly beans, a small piece of chocolate or a sugary power drink with the thought it won’t make a difference. Those calories add up and at the end of the day you could be adding several hundred calories to you total. Keeping a handy journal where you record every bite of food before it goes in your mouth can help you stay on track.

When you’re forced to account for every calorie you eat, you quickly gain an understanding of portion sizes and the type of foods that pack on the calories (processed snacks, baked treats and fried foods), compared to fresh vegetables that you can eat in almost unlimited quantities.

The most important part of the program is to always record the food or drink and portion size before you consume it. This will give your mind the time to understand the caloric impact of your food choice and possibly you’ll decide that you don’t need to eat now and can wait until your next meal

We all eat for different reasons. Some people are emotional eaters, while others use food as a social event to entertain or maintain a family unit. These occasions are a guarantee that you’ll overeat if you don’t record your food ahead of time. Plan your meal before the event or meal begins and stick to your plan.

Failure to properly plan and record your menu can derail your best weight loss intentions. We frequently underestimate portion size and the total calorie count of a given food item or meal. Measuring or weighing all foods is critical to achieving your weight loss target. You can double the results of your efforts and keep the weight off permanently by keeping a daily food journalThe results of a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine demonstrates that despite our best intentions, most people grossly underestimate portion sizes and calories eaten when they don’t measure their food. The researchers found that the more detailed food records that were kept by study participants, the more weight they lost. Those with the most meticulous recordkeeping lost twice as much as those who kept no track at all. And they were able to keep the weight off as long as they continued to record in their journal.

It isn’t that people are trying to be dishonest with food tracking, as they are only hurting themselves. The problem is we like to snack between meals or grab a few jelly beans, a small piece of chocolate or a sugary power drink with the thought it won’t make a difference. Those calories add up and at the end of the day you could be adding several hundred calories to you total. Keeping a handy journal where you record every bite of food before it goes in your mouth can help you stay on track.

When you’re forced to account for every calorie you eat, you quickly gain an understanding of portion sizes and the type of foods that pack on the calories (processed snacks, baked treats and fried foods), compared to fresh vegetables that you can eat in almost unlimited quantities.

The most important part of the program is to always record the food or drink and portion size before you consume it. This will give your mind the time to understand the caloric impact of your food choice and possibly you’ll decide that you don’t need to eat now and can wait until your next meal

We all eat for different reasons. Some people are emotional eaters, while others use food as a social event to entertain or maintain a family unit. These occasions are a guarantee that you’ll overeat if you don’t record your food ahead of time. Plan your meal before the event or meal begins and stick to your plan.

Failure to properly plan and record your menu can derail your best weight loss intentions. We frequently underestimate portion size and the total calorie count of a given food item or meal. Measuring or weighing all foods is critical to achieving your weight loss target. You can double the results of your efforts and keep the weight off permanently by keeping a daily food journal