Diabetes UK launches ‘Strike Out Stigma’ campaign to challenge harmful myths about diabetes 

A charity is calling time on the harmful myths, misconceptions and everyday judgements that millions of people with diabetes face across the UK.

Today, on World Diabetes Day, Diabetes UK has launched its ‘Strike Out Stigma’ campaign – raising awareness of how stigmatising stereotypes around diabetes can have a damaging impact on a person’s health.

Diabetes is a serious and complex condition, with more than 12 million people in the UK now living with diabetes or prediabetes. Yet for far too many people, managing their physical health is only part of their challenge.

The diabetes stigma they face comes in many forms, from throwaway comments and judgement over food choices, to false assumptions about diabetes risk factors.

It can come from anyone – friends, family, colleagues, healthcare professionals, or even from others living with diabetes.

The effects of stigma are serious. Feeling blamed or judged can lead to shame, isolation and poorer mental health.

It can even affect how people manage their diabetes, as well as causing people to avoid healthcare appointments.

This can put people at increased risk of serious diabetes-related complications such as heart disease, kidney failure and sight loss.

Diabetes UK’s Strike Out Stigma campaign urges everyone to challenge the misconceptions and misunderstandings that fuel stigma and replace them with empathy, understanding and respect.

It follows research carried out by Diabetes UK which reveals the scale and impact of diabetes-related stigma for the first time in the UK.

 The research shows that:

• 50 per cent of people living with diabetes have missed healthcare appointments due to stigma fear

• 86 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes and 75 per cent of those with type 2 diabetes have experienced blame or judgement for their condition

• 74 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes said that others make unfair assumptions about what they can and can’t do because of their condition

• Over half of those with type 1 diabetes said some people think they need insulin because “they haven’t looked after themselves”

• More than half of people with type 2 diabetes agreed there is a negative stigma around the condition being wrongly labelled a “lifestyle disease”.

Colette Marshall, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “For far too many people with diabetes, managing their physical health is only part of the challenge.

“Every day, people tell us they feel blamed, judged or made to feel like their diabetes is their fault. That’s simply wrong.

“No-one living with diabetes should feel ashamed. Through our ‘Strike Out Stigma’ campaign we’re calling on everyone – from friends and families, schools, employers and healthcare professionals to move past the misconceptions and judgement that surround diabetes. Together, we can create a society that leads with compassion and understanding.”

Actor and Diabetes UK ambassador, Sam Buchanan was ‘hours away from slipping into a coma’ at age 10 when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 

He said: “I pride myself on being someone who’ll just grin and bear it – I never want to make a fuss. But I’ve been on set before and had a hypo, and suddenly over 100 people have to stop what they’re doing and wait for me to feel okay again.

“That does make you feel a bit rubbish, to be honest. In the past when I’ve been on set and felt my blood sugars dropping I’ve tried to push through so as not to hold everyone up, but it’s so dangerous to ignore those signs.”

He added: “I’ve even come across jokes about diabetes in scripts like ‘that’s diabetes on a plate’ or ‘don’t eat all that, you’ll get diabetes’ and it makes me really uncomfortable.

“Looking back, I realise I’ve always experienced stigma in some form. Because I was diagnosed at 10, I’ve just learned to live with it. But I really hope I can encourage other young people to be open and honest about their experiences and to know that living with diabetes doesn’t have to hold you back. You can achieve anything you put your mind to.”

Diabetes UK is working to raise awareness of the impact of diabetes stigma, and to improve public understanding of the condition, through commissioning research to understand the perspectives of people with all types of diabetes.

Around 90 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, a condition which develops when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces doesn’t work properly.

No one thing causes type 2 diabetes, and it is caused by a combination of complex factors including age, family history, and living with overweight or obesity.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas can’t produce insulin. No one knows exactly what causes it and it isn’t currently preventable.

People with type 1 diabetes manage the condition using insulin, taken either by injections or via an insulin pump.

If you have been affected by diabetes stigma, Diabetes UK has a dedicated helpline on 0345 123 2399 for all people with diabetes, their family or friends, and people who are worried they might be at risk.

For more information about how you can get involved in the campaign, or for support if you’re experiencing diabetes stigma, visit the Diabetes UK website (diabetes.org.uk).