So I came across this piece in the Guardian this morning: “People who can’t fit into jeans they wore at age 21 risk developing diabetes“
That headline turned me inside out with rage. What kind of bullshit shaming of aging is this? How does this researcher know what size jeans anyone wore at 21? Should I have been recording the shifts in my ass size over the past 35 years?
Basically, this doofus is saying that everyone who has type 2 diabetes should lose at least 10% of their body weight, even if they are a “normal” size. (Just think about that for a moment). Then he adds “If you can’t get into the same size trousers now [you wore when you were 21], you are carrying too much fat and therefore at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you aren’t overweight.”
And what the fuck kind of scientific measure is the size of your jeans?
Martha replied: “It’s the Patriarchal Measuring Standard or PMS for men.”
I started thinking about how my jeans size changed as I got older, even as I weighed the same. BODIES CHANGE, PEOPLE.
I think what made me so mad is the offhand way both the researcher and the reporter implied that normal body shape changing is dysfunctional. I don’t see in this piece anything about knowing what size people actually WERE at 18 or 21 or whatever — just some really misguided, offhand comments assuming young = thin = healthy and anyone else (older, larger, female-er?) is inherently unhealthy.
And this nonsense is based on measuring pancreatic function of people consuming only 800 liquid calories a day. As Nicole says, “Even if what the jerk is saying is true, it’s not a reasonable intervention to expect people to live on an 800 calorie liquid diet for any length of time.?
Catherine said: yet another case of stupid journalist making a clickbait headline, outright fabricating shaming messaging not found in the presentation. There’s loads of scientific evidence that people with borderline or mild type 2 diabetes can achieve lower biological metrics (e.g. A1c– blood sugar level) with even 5–10% weight loss. But they can also achieve it through exercise, especially those with higher BMIs. There are many paths to improved metabolic states, and many tests to determine improved wellness. None of them involve stonewashed jeans. Just saying.
I think I join all of us in saying GRRRR.
I saw this article. Who writes this garbage? Mind you, I could probably wear the jeans that I wore when I was 21. I was pregnant with my eldest. 😉 Guess I am good to go!
We are all individuals and different and “they” can’t know about us. Thanks 🙏
Sounds like these idiots didn’t take thyroid dysfunction, genetic pancreatic insufficiency, or summarize any data on the relationship between cardiac calcium scores, carotid patency studies AND their relationship to incidence of Type II diabetes.
Wrong day for me to read this – just came from the cardiologist ( history of cardiac dysrhythmia from chronic thyroiditis) .
This trusted Md of many years, out of the blue asked me if I had Diabetes, commented on my weight, and not having recent labs to confirm my A1C was okay. Just kept throwing the word ‘Diabetes’ out there. I had to point out all the good studies I had and flex my biceps ( Yep, I got that dramatic) in response to the repeated reference that that was the direction I was headed in !
Righteous Angry RN signing off,
Love you guys and all that you post !