Diabetes is a complicated enough disease even without all the myths that continue to live on about the disease. One of the most prolific of the myths is that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It’s easy to see how this myth may have got started, especially before all the research of the recent decades have shed light on what the risks factors of diabetes really are.

The fact is, nobody can say for sure what causes diabetes. Particularly with type 2 diabetes, there may not be a single cause. Eating too much sugar causes diabetes in the same way that eating too much bacon does. There is no question that foods high in sugar content will make a person gain weight if they eat too much of those foods So gaining weight is one thing that eating too much sugar causes. Diabetes type 2 risk factors include being overweight or obese. In fact, most researchers and experts put obesity as number one on the list of risk factors for type 2 diabetes. But bacon (which was just used as an analogy and not meant to be singled out) is also high in calories, in this case from fats, and if eaten too often will contribute to obesity and put a person at risk of developing diabetes. So it is a diet high in calories that will contribute to weight gain, and can be a contributing factor for the development of diabetes.

 

What are some other Myths about the Causes of Diabetes?

 

The myth that eating too much sugar causes diabetes is probably the most common myth about this disease that is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, but it is not the only one. Some other myths about diabetes are:

  • A diabetic should only eat small amounts of starchy foods like potatoes and pasta – The fact is that starchy foods can and should be part of a healthy diabetic diet. Portion control is the key. Three or four normal serving sizes daily of cereals, whole grain bread, peas, potatoes, rice, or corn can be part of a diabetic diet. These foods with carbohydrates can be included in your meals in the right amounts. Whole grain starchy foods are actually a good fiber source for the body
  • People with diabetes can’t eat chocolate or other sweets – this kind of parallels the “eating too much sugar causes diabetes“myth. The truth is that a diabetic can eat chocolate or other sweets the same way as people without diabetes can.  As a part of dessert or a snack, they just need to be eaten in small amounts so as to not cause weight gain.
  • You can catch diabetes from another diabetic – this one is just plain not true. Diabetes is not contagious, and there is no evidence to suggest that it even might be. A genetic link may be a risk factor, but you can’t catch it.

 

A nutritionally sound diet and an active lifestyle are your best defenses against diabetes. Learn what the real risk factors are, and forget about the myths.