TRUE OR FALSE

Around 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, but how much do you know about this disease?

1. TRUE

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Both are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose, the fuel that feeds your body’s cells. To enter your cells, glucose needs a key, and insulin is that key. People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin at all, while people with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should.

2. TRUE

Both types of diabetes, if not controlled, share many similar symptoms, including frequent urination, feeling very hungry and thirsty, feeling fatigued, blurry vision, and cuts or sores that don’t heal properly. People with type 1 diabetes may experience irritability and mood changes, and unintentionally lose weight. People with type 2 diabetes may have numbness and tingling in their hands or feet.

3. FALSE

You can have your cake and eat it too, just not the whole cake! People with diabetes need to control the total amount of carbohydrates in their diet, and sugary treats count as carbs. But this doesn’t mean that they can’t have any sweets. It just means that they should put the brakes on eating too many sweets and other high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients.

4. FALSE

If you have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, you can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes. Studies have shown that you can lower your risk of developing diabetes by losing weight through diet and exercise.

5. FALSE

People don’t grow out of their diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin and won’t make it again. People with type 1 diabetes will always need to take insulin. People with type 2 diabetes may find it easier to control blood sugar levels by making healthy changes.