WARNING!!! IF YOU'RE DIABETIC & DOING THE KIMKINS DIET, DON'T GO OFF YOUR MEDS !!!

Diabetes and its Current Treatment Methods

Today's Diabetes Treatments

Diabetes is a devastating disease that accounts for 3.8 million deaths every year. A diabetic’s body can no longer produce insulin, a hormone necessary for processing glucose. Glucose is needed for energy, and so without a supply of insulin, a diabetic will die. There are two types of diabetes.


Type 1 Diabetes

Usually begins in childhood

Rapid onset

Unknown cause
With no way of producing insulin, a type 1 diabetic will starve to death without a constant external supply of insulin.

To make matters worse, insulin must only be injected at the right time, when glucose levels are high.

Type 2 Diabetes

Usually occurs in adults

Can sometimes be controlled by diet and exercise
In advanced cases, type 2 diabetics also have to rely on artificial insulin.

If diabetes isn’t managed well, and a diabetic frequently has too much glucose in their blood (known as hyperglycemia), it will cause dangerous secondary complications that could result in blindness, heart attack, stroke, and amputation.

LINK: http://dev.nsta.org/evwebs/1150/presenttech.htm

On Monday, January 21st, 2008, Strawberry on LCF posted the following:

"Strawberry

jan 21-08

"Well, I went to look at kimkins site and there is one post on Kimkins blog that makes me very upset, about "are your diabetes meds making you fat". And discusses weight gain associated with insulin and some of the meds. The implication is that if you are taking (NEEDED) diabetes medication, perhaps going off the meds will make you lose weight.

Its a common, dangerous practice among young teen girls who are supposed to be on insulin to not take their insulin, so that they cant get the calories from sugar eaten. Of course, the sugar then soars to dangerous highs in the blood and tears up kidneys, blood vessels, nerves, etc. The same thing happens to someone who doesnt take a diabetes medication such as glyburide.

I'm all for trying to come off meds and lose weight and naturally get blood sugar under control when doing low carb. But to plant the idea of stopping diabetes meds when they are needed is completely irresponsible.

Physicans are completely aware of weight gain as a possible side effect with some meds and try to use meds capable of causing weight gain sparingly, and only when necessary. And weight gain will be minimal if diet is controlled correctly so that there isn't excess sugar in the first place.
LINK: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/9829535-post2048.html " (bolding mine)

Kimmer's blog post that Strawberry is referring to on the Kimkins website is as follows:

"Thursday, January 17, 2008

Are Your Diabetes Meds Making You Fat?

Diabetic? Many Kimkins members are, including me. The diagram above shows that sulfonylureas (like the glipizide I take) help your pancreas create more insulin. Insulin is the fat storing hormone.

I found this blurb a quick explanation of why our diabetes meds can be triggering weight gain or not letting us lose as quickly as we'd like.

"Is your weight going up even though you haven't been eating more? Take a look at your diabetes medications —— they could be the culprit.

Some diabetes medications could make you gain weight. To put it simply, as you get better control of your diabetes, you no longer lose glucose in your urine, so your body retains those calories.

Some classes of diabetes drugs are more likely to cause weight gain than others. Sulfonylureas (such as glyburide and glipizide), meglitinides (Prandin), and insulin can cause weight gain.

The drugs most commonly associated with weight gain and fluid retention are the thiazolidinediones (glitazones), such as pioglitazone and rosiglitazone.

It's not safe to let your blood sugar levels increase in order to lose weight. To prevent weight gain, you'll need to improve your lifestyle efforts by making better food choices and exercising more often.

You can also talk to your doctor about trying other medications. Some drugs, like Metformin, work like the glitazones, but don't cause weight gain. They can even help with weight loss. You can try switching to this type of drug, but watch for other side effects, including gas, bloating, or diarrhea. Keep in mind that you can't take this drug if you have heart disease.

Also, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (such as acarbose and miglitol) don't cause weight gain, but can cause side effects such as bloating or diarrhea.

Being female, overweight, or having kidney disease or high blood pressure raises your risks of developing edema (water retention) from medication. If you believe water retention is an issue for you, talk to your doctor about trying diuretics or switching to a different medication in order to control your edema."

Posted by Kimmer at 5:26 PM

Labels: acarbose, diabetes and weight gain, edema, flitazones, glipizide, kimkins, Metformin, miglitol, prandin"

Here are screen shots of Kimmer's post:

And here is a post from Kimmer on February 6, 2007 from her Kimkins website:

"Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Type 2 Diabetic Gets Off Meds With Kimkins!

I'll admit, these are my very favorite success posts on the Kimkins website!

From Kimkins member "Sweetstell":

"What a great lady! How come I had never heard of Kimmer till I stumbled onto the site of Living La Vida Low Carb and another big loser directed me here! In 8 days I have lost 7.5 pounds!

And I'm a Type II DIABETIC!!! It's been great getting off my Metformin and having normal readings!"

Wow! A few days on the super effective Kimkins diet and this sweet lady was able to get off of her diabetes medication!

Many Type II diabetic members report needing much less (or no) medication after a few short weeks on Kimkins. Even Type I types typically reduce their insulin dosage (with doctor's approval, of course).

If you or someone you know is diabetic, do them a favor and tell them to check out Kimkins! Be sure to check in with "Sweetstell" and give her a big HIGH 5!

Good job, Stell! Keep it up!

Posted by Kimmer at 7:53 PM

Labels: diabetes, health, kimkins, Kimmer, Metformin, type 2 diabetes, type II diabetes, weight loss"


And here are those screen shots:





On September 4, 2007, the blogger, KimkinsExposed, posted this:


"Kimkins, Not Safe for Diabetics, as per TOS
September 4, 2007...

Kkatastrophediet posted today about the changes to the Kimkins site Terms of Service. Within the change is a notable warning,

'This program should not be attempted by anyone with the following conditions without prior approval from their physician: pregnant or nursing mothers, patients with history of gout, kidney failure or disease, gallbladder issues, those under the age of 18 and those with blood glucose issues such as diabetes or hypoglycemia. The content relayed on Kimkins.com is not to be interpreted as advocating the self-management of your medical condition(s) or those of your family.'

Contrast that with the promotional page ‘‘Thinking About Kimkins?’’ that lures the unsuspecting with the following bold statement,

Is Kimkins good for diabetics? Kimkins is perfect for all diabetics!

It appears Kimmer (Heidi Diaz) will say anything to convince those reading her promotional material to sign up and pay her $60, even if it means potentially compromising the health of someone with diabetes. How shameful. "

LINK: http://kimkinsexposed.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/kimkins-not-safe-for-diabetics-as-per-tos/


And the following newspaper article written by Trish Crawford, which appeared in The Canadian Press this morning, January 23, 2008, supports the comments made by Strawberry on LCF:

"Diabetic girls skip insulin to lose weight, warn MDs
‘Life-threatening’ behaviour, experts say

By TRISH CRAWFORD The Canadian Press
Wed. Jan 23 - 7:07 AM

TORONTO — A dirty little secret is shared by many young women with Type 1 diabetes — when they skip their insulin, they lose weight.

This is dangerous and potentially life-threatening behaviour, experts in the field warn, but one that is hard to quash in a world obsessed with body image.

Psychiatrist Patricia Colton, who works in the eating disorders clinic at Toronto General Hospital, has had one diabetic patient in her 20s go blind, and another the same age suffer renal failure as a result of avoiding their medication.

Doctors started guessing females were deliberately skipping their insulin as a weight control measure in the late ’80s, Colton says, and notes that recent studies have revealed it is widespread, affecting approximately a third of diabetic young women. Though Colton was concerned media coverage of the issue might spark copy-cat behaviour, it has become so widespread "it is too late to keep it a secret."

"They are wiping out 80 years of progress in diabetic medicine," says Colton, adding that the initial effects are nausea, depression and exhaustion but get more serious over time.

"It is extreme behaviour but it is tied into the mindset of our culture. They are under pressure to put a high premium on their weight, to believe that their success is based on looks."

Many difficult health issues, from smoking and drinking to drug use, involve "a high degree of denial, especially for young people," she says. They may know the dangers but think it won’t happen to them, and that rationale underscores the disconnect between what young people know and what they do.

Colton treats women with eating disorders by helping them achieve small goals and build on those successes while creating a sense of hope and self-control.

Dr. Denis Daneman, head of pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children and a diabetes expert, headed a 2001 study that established the breadth of the problem. The study looked at 356 girls with diabetes and 1,098 without the disease in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton. One in four of the diabetic girls had an eating disorder, compared with 10 per cent in the group without diabetes, he says. Older girls were more likely to skip their insulin injections as a tool for weight loss.

Adolescents are more likely to have their medicine controlled by the parents, he says, but as girls gain more independence they are increasingly likely to experiment with their insulin. The study showed 35 per cent of girls aged 16 to 22 admit to purposefully stopping their insulin for weight loss.

Many of them were already experiencing eye damage as a result, says Daneman, and damage to nerves and kidneys was expected, as well. The big impact will probably be felt by these young women when they are over 30, he says, adding it will affect mortality.

"This is acutely life-threatening," he says.

However, it is a thorny problem to solve since many women wish to be thin and diabetic women have a foolproof way to achieve that goal, he says. Daneman points out that before the discovery of insulin, diabetics were known for being "scarecrow thin."

Once females are prescribed and begin taking insulin they frequently gain weight, he says, which may be the result of either the medication itself or an increased appetite. So, while they are healthy, these young women may be upset with their body image, he says.

He speculates that diabetic girls learn the insulin secret from each other.

"Young people in general are notorious for ignoring possible longer-term consequences in favour of short-term benefits," York University psychology professor Jennifer Mills writes in an e-mail."

(all bolding mine)

My fellow blogger, OhYeahBabe, has written an excellent post on her blog, Kimorexia, about Heidi Diaz's unconscionable advice to diabetics. Please check out her blog post here:

http://kimorexia.blogspot.com/2008/01/insulin-diabetics-kimkins-angry-about.html

If you are either a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic and considering taking yourself off your diabetic medication, as suggested by Heidi Diaz aka Kimmer, PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY !!!

DO NOT TAKE THE ADVICE OF A SCAMMING, LYING, SOCIOPATHIC FRAUD WHO HAS NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND/TRAINING OR CONSCIENCE !!!

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