12 hours Ago By Jennie Buzaglo
Channel 4 presenter Anna Richardson recalled the "shocking" moment a doctor told her she was borderline prediabetic. Diabetes was already a condition well known to Anna and her family as her 83-year-old father Jim has had Type 2 diabetes for several years. Meanwhile, Anna's mother, Janet, was diagnosed with diabetes later in life.
It was during a routine trip to the doctors that the Naked Attraction host discovered she was heading in the same direction as her parents. "I found out myself during an annual health screening that my blood sugars were very high," Anna exclusively told Express.co.
uk. "They were tipping into the prediabetes area which came as a complete shock for me." Explaining the warning she was given, Anna said: "The doctor told me I had to be careful with my blood sugar because I was tipping into prediabetes.
" After overcoming the initial shock, Anna decided to educate herself about the condition. Anna discovered that a range of different factors are involved when it comes to someone being diagnosed with diabetes, including genetics, gender and ethnicity. She has now taken several lifestyle measures to ensure she doesn't develop the condition.
The podcast presenter has lost a stone by incorporating exercise into her daily routine and maintaining a balanced diet, while upping her protein intake. Determining that diabetes is incredibly complex, Anna admitted she was "ashamed" of the view she previously had, especially when it came to her dad's diabetes. The Channel 4 host confessed: "I'm ashamed to say that I've done this with my dad.
You tend to think that this is your fault or a lifestyle problem because you're overweight or you eat too much. But actually, it's a lot more complex. "I think people feel very ashamed by it.
One in four people don't share their condition with loved ones because of that shame. They've got this fear of being judged. The star continued: "But with my dad, I have definitely been that person that's gone, 'Dad.
You cannot have the doughnuts because you're diabetic.' What I've gone on to learn is that if your diabetes is well controlled, which my father's is, then of course you can have the diet, within reason, that you want." She added: "That's how it affected me.
I went on a bit of a journey. I've taken some lifestyle measures to try and prevent getting type two." Anna explained that a range of different factors are involved when it comes to someone being diagnosed with diabetes, with genetics, gender and ethnicity all able to have an influence.
Anna has now partnered with healthcare company Abbott to raise awareness of this stigma around diabetes. But she knows more needs to be done. "There needs to be a lot more support for people with diabetes," she declared.
"There also needs to be more societal education around what this condition is." Anna continued: "There needs to be a lot more encouragement for people to go and get themselves checked out by a doctor if they are worried about the symptoms. "If they are worried about their blood sugars they should face it head on because type 2 diabetes can be managed, and if it's managed well, you can go on to live a perfectly normal, happy, healthy life.
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