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Type 1 and Type 2 are completely different diseases. They present similar symptoms -- which is why they're both called "diabetes" --, but their underlying causes are different.

Many T2 patients can control their blood sugar with diet.

No T1 patients can. It has nothing to do with "discipline", it's an autoimmune disease. It's actually a bit insulting to suggest it's somehow "their own fault."

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I certainly wasn’t trying to imply T1 diabetes was their own fault. I have a friend with T1 diabetes and diet helps them but it doesn’t cure them (although they continue to drink wine and are somewhat careless in their sugar level management sometimes).

The friend with T2 diabetes very likely is caused by an autoimmune reaction: he had what is commonly an autoimmune disease as a child. Some percentage of T2 diabetes cases are caused by poor diet, althogh there are many other factors.

Edit: Also, obviously diet and exercise help avoid many other health issues. And I feel your comment doesn’t follow the hn guideline “Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.”

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