Most people don’t know much about diabetes, so they are looking for a way to simplify and understand, or to relate in some way, even if it is stupid.

Some think that the numbers signify that one is not so bad and becomes the other by severity of progress. Which is worse? First degree burn or second degree burn? Which is worse Stage 3 or Stage 4 Cancer? So, because of the designations with the number, some believe that 2 is dietary controlled and it gets worse and then becomes 1, where people need insulin. We know that makes no sense but that is true for some people.

Others just need to compare/contrast to understand things better. So, which is the bigger threat? Which do I need to be more concerned about?

A lot of this could be clarified through use of different naming conventions: “autoimmune diabetes” or “insulin-resistant diabetes” as opposed to “1 and 2.”