What, you may be asking, do autism, diabetes, and obesity have in common?
Nothing much, which is why I’m blogging. I don’t do rants, but this could come close. I recently read a study which tried to proved that, although autism now effects 1 in 88 children, and costs the average family over $5 million in lifetime care for the person with autism, it really isn’t so bad when compared to teenage obesity and diabetes. The article quoted higher numbers for diabetes and obesity, and pointed out they often end in death, whereas autism does not.
C’mon. Seriously?
I “get” that diabetes is serious and often can’t be controlled without medicine. But insulin does exist and is readily available. An effective across the board medicine for autism has yet to be developed. People with diabetes can, with care, live a fairly normal life. The odds against a person with autism doing so are formidable.
I don’t dispute the severity of this disease and the havoc it can create in the sufferer’s life. Many of mydear family members and friends suffer from diabetes. But the higher prevalence of diabetes than of autism doesn’t diminish the seriousness of autism. Parents caring for a child with diabetes don’t usually fear their child may not ever meet the milestones in life we’ve all come to take for granted: having conversations, friends, and meaningful careers and relationships.
Obesity, teenage or otherwise, is devastating. It can cause serious health problems including death, and doesn’t help one’s social life. I get that losing weight and keeping it off is no always as simple as eating less and exercising more. There is heredity to deal with, and chemical imbalances, and life in a culture that lauds the skinny while pushing supersized portions of junk food. But–and I know I’m on dangerous ground here, for most people, losing weight, while extremely difficult, is possible. There are numerous medical interventions, including surgery, that can help. Recovery, while arduous, is possible in many cases.
Not true with autism. Families fight on, looking for a cure, but very few, so far, recover fully. Parents who might once have considered retiring in their late 50’s now look at working on through the foreseeable future, just to afford the care for our precious children who probably aren’t going to be capable of caring for themselves.
Normally, I just ignore articles like this. I’m not sure what disturbed me most, the apples to aardvarks comparison of autism, diabetes and obesity, or the obvious sincerity of the author.
I invite said author to live a month with my family, a month in the home of someone with diabetes, and a month in the home of someone suffering from obesity. Then, take another look at your data. I don’t think you’ll reach the same conclusions.
D'Ann Renner 
Leave a comment