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diabetes isn’t your fault: breaking down stigma of food shame
7 minute read
chef malcolm campbell excels in all things food at mystic restaurant in halifax while keeping track of his blood sugar levels.
jessica emin
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this article was produced by the healthing editorial team with the support of a grant from diabetes canada. while diabetes canada made the production of this article possible, they did not have any editorial influence or control over the content, including review prior to publication.
the thing about being a chef is that you’re always surrounded by food, tasting everything. these culinary masters walk around with five teaspoons in their chef coat’s front pocket, pulling them out to check on the consistency and flavours of indulgent creations before they make it to plates for serving.
but what if you’re a chef who lives with diabetes? they need to be very aware of what they eat and when they eat to follow a regimented control of their blood sugar. they can’t sustain themselves with random tiny mouthfuls.
this is one of the daily challenges for chef malcolm campbell, an accomplished gourmet, whose halifax restaurant, mystic, has just won air canada’s en route award for best new restaurant. he’s driven, talented and doesn’t let the demands of type 1 diabetes hinder his passion—he stays a step ahead and is always prepared. he has a small bag handy (his “murse!” he laughs) that’s packed with five alive juice boxes and other supplies for blood sugar maintenance.
being open about diabetes helps educate others
“when dinner service starts at five and goes till 11, i can’t just stop at nine and have dinner,” says campbell, 49, adding he typically sits down at the end of the shift. “the cooks always know that chef needs to eat, and they’ll say, ‘chef, you want dinner tonight?’ and i’ll sit down and have some food, and then that’ll carry me.”
in fact, he’s learned that being open with his coworkers and people in general about his diabetes is the best way to break down the stigma around diabetes and food. he’s heard people say, ‘oh, you got (diabetes) because you eat too much sugar,’ which is a common misconception. he also doesn’t cover up his wearable devices, a diabetes sensor and an insulin pump on his arm and is open to questions if anyone asks him about them.
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diabetes is a disease where your body can’t use or produce insulin, the hormone that’s essential to move glucose from your blood to your cells to convert to energy. people don’t “give themselves” diabetes; instead, it’s rooted in several contributors, including genes, family history, ethnic background, and other environmental and lifestyle factors.
but when campbell was first diagnosed, that’s exactly what he thought diabetes was about—eating too much sugar.
it all started when he found himself needing to go to the bathroom to urinate two or three times during the dinner shift, and he was constantly thirsty (two common signs of diabetes).
“i was so thirsty. and i would drink a litre of water, and then i’d drink a glass of orange juice. and then i’m like, i’m still thirsty. i just couldn’t put my finger on it. it was really weird,” he explains. when he went to see his doctor for another concern, he mentioned his thirst and frequent urination. his doctor checked his blood sugar, noting it was high. he told campbell he had type 2 diabetes, then prescribed metformin, a common medication for the condition.
however, he kept getting sicker and ended up vomiting one night, finally going to emergency. he got his first shot of insulin and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, where the immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
he went home and started diabetes education training, which went well until he called his boss, revealing his fear and uncertainty.
“i told him what happened, and i kind of broke down because it was a lot, right? i’ve heard of diabetes, but i didn’t know what it was. all i thought was, ‘this is not good,’ so i had a bit of a breakdown. i didn’t know if i could be a chef anymore because it ties directly with food. how can i serve desserts on a menu if i can’t eat desserts myself? that’s all i knew because i was uneducated at that moment in time. so it was like, i don’t think i can be a chef, and i don’t know what’s going to happen.”
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the impact of food and diabetes stigma
it was a low point fuelled by diabetes stigma surrounding food. comments on these misconceptions often plague people living with diabetes, making them shoulder a sense of blame and failure, says candace aqui, a registered dietitian with diabetes canada.
“reports and surveys that we’ve done have found that it’s comments from others that make people feel that it’s their fault, that they’ve caused it, and people make unfair assumptions about what they can and can’t do because of their diabetes. and really, i think it comes back to that awareness and education about diabetes,” she says.
diabetes canada commissioned a nanos poll of the general public that revealed 48 per cent of canadians believe that diabetes is caused by consuming too much sugar, with 11 per cent strongly agreeing and 37 per cent somewhat agreeing with that claim. as well, almost 30 per cent say that people who have diabetes have only themselves to blame. the organization has launched a campaign to change the conversation about diabetes to break down harmful stigma.
at diabetes canada, aqui leads the virtual diabetes education program and the online peer support community diabetes canada connect, which are valuable resources that help people learn and manage their diabetes, she says. “the resilience that people have day in and day out of managing their diabetes, and the tips and the tricks that they learn along the way. it’s shown me that it’s one of those things that certainly builds people up.”
as she points out, “there are many factors that come into play with a diagnosis of diabetes. genetics plays a role. our living environment plays a role. those social determinants of health, access to healthcare, our income levels, all those kinds of things also play a role. so, i really try to make it clear to people that it’s not their fault and that there’s hope. there are things that you can do to manage your diabetes as well as prevent some of those complications that come along with diabetes.”
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complications run from eye, nerve and kidney problems to cardiovascular disease, so keeping blood sugar in a controlled range is critical.
using tools, including food, to manage diabetes
through the programming at diabetes canada to counsel people with diabetes, especially those newly diagnosed, the aim is to meet people where they are and help build their confidence with diabetes management tools, like healthy eating, medication, stress management, physical activity and advocacy, aqui says.
“it’s being confident in knowing that you didn’t cause your diabetes and then being confident in explaining that to other folks. and it’s recognizing that this isn’t about just what you eat or how much activity you do, that there are many ways to manage your diabetes.”
she notes that a diagnosis of any chronic disease is life-changing, so once you start to learn and educate yourself about what you can do, what is within your control, and who you need help from to best support you, you better recover from the initial shock and upheaval. she and her team help people adopt new tools and set measurable goals, like eating more fibre, for example, which slows digestion and prevents blood sugar spikes.
food is one of the key tools that impacts blood sugar, where diabetes canada advocates for a balanced plate with appropriate portion sizes, along with half a plate of vegetables, and one-quarter each of protein and starches. there’s absolutely room for sweets and other indulgences in moderation, says aqui.
“it’s not to say that all of a sudden you have to follow a very strict diet. we really want to encourage people to enjoy the meals they have, but also think about what they can add” to create a healthier eating plan. “we also remind people that, of course, we use food to nourish our bodies and to grow and develop, but we use food as a way to celebrate with others. we use food as enjoyment and that those are okay uses of food as well.”
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chef campbell just signed on with diabetes canada as the celebrity chef ambassador for the new aprons in action fundraising challenge, which encourages people to cook at home and launches in march 2026. he’ll be offering professional tips and guidance. he wants to do what he can to create awareness about food and diabetes, two mainstays of his life.
“regimen is really important with eating,” he says of managing diabetes. “it’s crazy because you could eat the exact same thing every single day at the exact same time, and you could need different insulin levels depending on so many factors.” yes, he finds it challenging and follows a low-carbohydrate diet that works for him (what works is unique to the individual).
but it’s clear he loves what he does, and food and fun are at the heart of it all. his award-winning restaurant “has a real pride of place and brings the outside indoors to show off nova scotia. the terroir, the flora, all that stuff, not just in food, but in design and what we serve it on and everything. it all kind of comes together,” he says.
“it’s enjoyable. we still work long hours and, you know, it’s a grind, but it’s enjoyable.”
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