Health Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach
Discussion Questions
A. Where is insulin produced and what role does it play in the body? What occurs to otherwise healthy cells in the absence of insulin? What can be done to prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes and what can done once it develops?
B. What is the difference between Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes?
C. How are psychological and sociological factors linked to diabetes control? What would you recommend to overweight people who are at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, but reluctant to change their lifestyles?
D. How is Type 2 diabetes related to job stress? Does this suggest any measures that can be taken to prevent emergence of this disease?
E. What type of diets and particular food items may help or have been proposed to help those with diabetes? Are there certain foods that you would see as being particularly helpful in a prevention capacity?
F. If Type 2 diabetes is due to either too little insulin or to the development of insulin resistance, why are there individual differences in side effects and the ameliorative actions of drug treatments?
G. One of the reasons that diabetes is so difficult to tame is that patients fail to maintain lifestyles that could be helpful. Of the many behaviour change strategies that could be offered, which would you recommend? If you are unable to make a selection, why is that?
H. Of the many chronic illnesses that affect people (e.g. heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes), it seems that public perception is that diabetes may be the least threatening to most people. What do you believe accounts for this? Is it less dangerous than these other illnesses?