An English woman with type 1 diabetes has died after allegedly skipping her insulin injections in an attempt to shed some weight. Her bereaved parents are now calling on the government to improve diabetic care and awareness in the U.K.
'Diabulimia' Is An Actual Health Disorder
Lisa Day, 27, had been a type 1 diabetic since she was a teenager. It was also during that time when she developed a debilitating eating disorder. The dual condition is colloquially referred to as "diabulimia." Day eventually passed away last September due to the lack of insulin in her body.
Doreen Proud, Day's mother, told Sky News that her daughter would never listen to her about the anorexia aspect of her condition. She said her daughter would just ignore such conversations.
"There are so many Lisas out there, they are being missed," said Proud. "She was diabetic and by right she should still be alive, but all I've got are her ashes."
Think Twice Before Skipping Medications
Daily Mail reported that skipping medication introduces a whirlwind of negative consequences to the body. Some of its effects include infertility, blindness, organ failure and death.
Dr. Melanie Kershaw, a pediatric endocrinologist at Birmingham Children's Hospital, stated that insulin issues have been known to cause eating disorders, particularly in women. She reckoned that 40 percent of diabetic women between the ages 15 and 40 have at some point tried to modify their insulin doses to regulate their weight.
"It's absolutely right that people with complex conditions need a tailored approach," a representative from the U.K. Department of Health shared with Yahoo News. "That is why the NHS is supporting new care models that can be used in different combinations according to a patient's own needs."
He added that the U.K. government will be allocating £150 million for community eating disorder services aimed at young people. A portion of the budget will be used to fund multi-disciplinary assistance for children living with diabetes.
