I don’t know where I heard it for the first time but I’ve always been intrigued by the saying “zero points for knowing”. We all know a lot of things and yet, how often do we make decisions in direct defiance of that knowledge? Is there any doubt that smokers know they shouldn’t smoke, that diabetics know they shouldn’t eat sugary desserts, that we should go to bed at 10 so we’re ready for that meeting in the am; but we stay up watching the movie until midnight anyway?
No news flash here, but there’s got to be something else other than knowledge driving our behavior and decisions; likely many things other than knowledge. One of my favorite motivational coaches is Tony Robbins. I’ve often heard him challenge the conventional saying that knowledge is power with his own more accurate version; knowledge isn’t power, it’s potential power. So how do we turn the potential power of knowledge into actual power?
I think knowledge only becomes power when we look at a situation from the perspective that allows for the knowledge to transform. As this is a health oriented blog, I’m going to apply my thoughts to the condition of Diabetes. Yesterday at the store, a doctor friend of mine and I were asked if we wanted to contribute $1.00 toward curing diabetes. Both of us looked at the clerk as if on cue and said, we know how to cure diabetes, it’s an input disorder. That comment is not meant to offend and it’s certainly not applicable to Type I diabetics; it’s merely reflective of the fact that we know Type II diabetes is a lifestyle condition caused by too much of the wrong input.
Here’s a bold statement: Type II Diabetes is not a disease, it is a normal human response to too much of a specific input – mainly food – and a lack of the right kinds of input – complex carbohydrates, protein and exercise! That statement may upset some people, and it may seem a bit too simplistic – but it is meant to stimulate thought, not diminish or minimize the gravity of the diabetes condition in our society.
We tend to look at Type II diabetes as if it’s some sort of disease or malfunction in the body. We look at it as if it’s the “body” doing something to us – the body has somehow failed. In fact, in Type II Diabetes the body is merely behaving exactly as it’s been programmed to do for thousands of years. The body’s response is merely the response it’s programmed to provide from TOO MUCH OF THE HARMFUL INPUT and NOT ENOUGH OF THE HELPFUL! The body is functioning 100% according to plan, there is nothing wrong with the programming and all we need to do is change the input. There is no loss of function or anatomical condition that needs to be replaced or “fixed”, like in Type I Diabetes. That’s the good news because the body is functioning as programmed. Since the body is functioning normally, changing the input will produce the “normal” results that are desired.
So I’m left with the question: Can a change in perception of type II diabetes from disease to input disorder help change behavior? I’m not sure but I’m going to try that approach with my diabetic clients and see if it helps. More to come on this topic…….
