DIABETIC MOTHER IS OBSESSED WITH HEALTHY EATING VIDEOS

MY 65-year-old mother went on a diet after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But now she’s become obsessed with Facebook videos about ‘healthy’ eating – and won’t touch anything that isn’t a salad. I’m worried she’s wasting away.

CHANGES to diet and weight loss are important for those with type 2 diabetes and those at risk of developing it. The condition leads to high blood sugar, and raises the risk of a range of problems, including heart disease.

But diet is not the whole picture. I often see patients who are rigorous in their diet and exercise, keep their weight down and remain very active yet still have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes.

It is disheartening. But that is because these illnesses do not only result from lifestyle habits – they are also genetic. Dietary advice you might see online or on social media is often not the right advice. For example, many people avoid carbohydrates, fat or convenience foods unnecessarily. It’s essential patients in these situations seek help from a dietician – the only specialists in this area who have a holistic understanding of the need for proper fullness and calorie intake, while knowing how to limit potentially detrimental foods.

We don’t often think of older adults as suffering with eating disorders, but a zealously healthy diet is a known trigger for one, regardless of age.

A newly identified eating disorder, orthorexia, is a particular risk in this case – patients take an extreme approach to restricting foods to the extent it interferes with work and relationships. For this reason, discuss access to psychological and dietetic help.