Myths abound when it comes to diabetes Be it a friend, family member, coworker, or even a passing acquaintance, chances are strong nearly everyone in the United States knows someone with diabetes.According to the American Diabetes Association, as of 2007 more than 23 million Americans have diabetes.That translates to roughly 8 percent of the United States population, making diabetes one of the most prevalent diseases in the country, and the reason so many lives have been directly or indirectly affected. As prevalent as the disease is, a mountain of misinformation is still out there, making diabetes not only one of the most common diseases suffered by Americans, but also one of the most misunderstood. In an effort to dispel myths about this all-too-common disease, the American Diabetes Association makes note of the following myths commonly associated with the disease. • Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.While being overweight increases a person's risk for developing type 2 diabetes, too much sugar does not cause diabetes.While it can be difficult to determine why one individual gets diabetes and another does not, it is known that family history and poor diet increase a person's risk factor. However, no evidence exists to suggest too much sugar causes the disease. Rather, diabetes can begin when the body is disrupted and its ability to turn food that's consumed into energy is put in jeopardy. The causes of diabetes, however, are different depending on the type, and none are the result of too much sugar. For example, type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin, leading to sugar piling up in the blood vessels.Research has indicated that type 1 diabetes could be related to difficulties with the immune system. Type 2 diabetes can also occur when the body cannot produce sufficient insulin, or can result from insulin that simply does not function as it should. Overweight people have proven especially susceptible to type 2 diabetes. Hormone changes can also be at the root of diabetes, particularly in pregnant women who experience such changes that prevent insulin from working properly. This is known as gestational diabetes and could possibly resolve itself after childbirth. • Myth: People with diabetes are more susceptible to colds and other ailments. People with diabetes are not, in fact, more susceptible to the common cold or other ailments. However, the American Diabetes Association advises all people with diabetes to get flu shots annually.That's because any infection can interfere with blood glucose management, and increase the risk for ketoacidosis for people with type 1 diabetes. Ketoacidosis is a condition that can cause the body to switch to starvation mode because the body isn't able to use sugar for energy as a result of insufficient insulin levels.This can set off a string of dangerous consequences, including blood in the urine, dehydration and possibly even death. • Myth: People with diabetes can't have sweets or dessert.This isn't true. In fact, a person who doesn't have diabetes needs to follow the same rules with respect to sweets or dessert that a person with diabetes must follow. Simply put, sweets, chocolate and dessert can be enjoyed in moderation when combined with a healthy diet and an exercise regimen. This does not, however, mean diabetics should not be especially careful when it comes to eating sweets or dessert. Moderation, for instance, should equate to one scoop of ice cream instead of two.Also, prepare desserts with artificial sweeteners when possible, and make desserts using whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetable oil. Oftentimes, such adjustments do not lead to less taste. • Myth: Diabetes is contagious. Even though questions arise as to why one person gets diabetes and another does not, diabetes is not contagious.This myth is likely rooted in the suspected genetic and ethnic link to diabetes,most notably type 2 diabetes. Diabetes researchers have long believed there is a genetic link to type 2 diabetes,because it appears to run in families (though it doesn't always, and a parent with type 2 diabetes will not necessarily see all or any of his or her children develop the disease). Research into the genetic link is ongoing,but doctors remain certain diabetes is not contagious. The American Diabetes Association also notes the connection between type 2 diabetes and race.Type 2 diabetes is more common among African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders.Again, however, nothing exists to indicate the disease is contagious. To learn more about diabetes,visit the American Diabetes Association Web site at www.diabetes.org.