Myth: Diabetes is not a serious disease.
Fact: Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.

Myth: Type 2 diabetes will develop only in overweight or obese people.
Fact: Over weight or obesity is only one of the risk factors for developing diabetes. Other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity, age etc also play a role. Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.

Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease; type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors. Sugar and fat are high in calories and the diet high in calories lead to excess body weight, one of the risk factors to develop diabetes.

Myth: Diabetic patients should eat special diabetic foods.
Fact: No need to go for a special diabetic food. Diabetic and "dietetic" foods generally offer no special benefit. Most of them still raise blood glucose levels, are usually more expensive. A diet low in fat (especially saturated and trans fat), moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on whole grain foods, vegetables and fruits is always good for both diabetic and non diabetic people.

Myth: People with diabetes can't eat sweets, chocolate and fruits
Fact: As part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be include in the diabetes diet by concentrating on the portion size.

Myth: If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor says you need to start using insulin, it means you're failing to take care of your diabetes properly.
Fact: For most people, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. When first diagnosed, many people with type 2 diabetes can keep their blood glucose at a healthy level with oral medications. But over time, the body gradually produces less and less of its own insulin and eventually oral medications may not be enough to keep blood glucose levels normal. Using insulin to get blood glucose levels to a healthy level is a good thing, not a bad one.

Myth: People with diabetes are more likely to get colds and other illnesses.
Fact: You are no more likely to get a cold or another illness if you have diabetes. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu shots. This is because any illness can make diabetes more difficult to control, and people with diabetes who do get the flu are more likely than others to go on to develop serious complications.