The National Kidney Foundation

Diabetes prevention - bust those myths!

Myth 1: Diabetes can be cured

Diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure. It is therefore important to have regular screenings to detect diabetes early and obtain timely treatment. On the contrary, prediabetes (when your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes) is reversible through lifestyle changes such as losing weight and maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), adopting a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity.

Myth 2: Only overweight or obese people can have diabetes

Being overweight and obese (having a body mass index – BMI – of 30 or greater) does greatly increases one’s risk of developing diabetes as research suggests that obese people with BMI more than 35kg/m² have 80 times greater risk to develop diabetes than those of normal weight. However, people of all shapes and sizes can develop diabetes as weight is only one of the risk factors. Other risk factors include poor eating habits; an inactive lifestyle; being 40 years old and above; family history with

diabetes; and impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose.

Myth 3: Diabetes is caused by eating too much sweet food

Diabetes is not necessarily caused by eating too much of sweet food. It is a chronic disease caused by high blood glucose levels, which happens due to the body’s inability to produce insulin or respond to it efficiently. Although eating sweet food alone may not cause diabetes directly, a diet high in sugar and fat can lead to undesirable weight gain and in turn, lead to being overweight or obese, which then increases one’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Myth 4: Individuals should avoid carbohydrates to reduce diabetes risk

Carbohydrates is the main nutrient which impacts blood glucose levels as they are broken down into glucose to supply energy for the body. However, it is not advisable to totally avoid carbohydrate intake because carbohydrates are the main energy source to our body and they are present in a variety of foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, which may also be important sources of other nutrients.

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