Oh look, another joke about diabetes and candy

This is a somewhat serious post about diabetes. Non-d peeps, you're excused if you want to leave and maybe go watch some Family Feud. I hear Steve Harvey's 'got a good one for ya today'.
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Sigh.

Again with the stereo-type. You would think that in this day and age of vast information at our disposal that this would be a non-issue. But once again I come across a post on some social media site where someone makes a joke about diabetes and candy.

Then I weigh my options. Do I let it go? Do I (gently) respond? I usually take every opportunity to educate the un-informed masses about this myth but sometimes I feel like the Diabetes Police.

Sometimes someone comments about "Not having a sense of humor." Hmmm, let's see, holding my son's hand through a scary low blood sugar or watching him prick his finger for the 4th time in 2 hours as he battles high blood sugar is not my idea of funny. A joke that starts with, "A naked blond walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm and a two-foot salami under the other..."is funny.

You wouldn't make jokes about cancer. Hey I'm about to go lay out in the sun, guess I'm getting cancer, ha ha :). No, because that would be cruel and insensitive. Yet that statement has more truth to it based on medical and scientific evidence. Sun and exposure to ultra-violet rays can cause cancer.

But eating candy or sugary foods DOES NOT cause diabetes. That's a fact. So I'm not sure why diabetes continues to be the punchline to all the sugar-based jokes.


Diabetes is not a joke. Making fun of a disease, any disease, that people suffer from is not funny.

I actually do have a sense of humor. Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows this. I love jokes, pranks, slapstick comedy, and 80's movies with terrific one-liners.

In the end, I did reply to the original comment. I simply stated that eating candy doesn't cause diabetes. I even kept it light by referring to myself as a killjoy to the ha-ha. So far there's been no replies to mine.