Understanding the diabetic body-self

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death from disease, shortens the average life span by up to 15 years, and is the main cause of new blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in the United States. Interviews with 2 practitioners and 8 individuals with diabetes illustrate how individuals embody their illness. Interviewed persons with diabetes tended to be most closely associated with the disciplined body type and pursued high levels of bodily control, in contrast to an idealized type, the communicative body, which can be considered an ethical ideal. This framework provides heuristic value by providing insight into the behaviors, needs, and struggles of persons with diabetes, as well as providing a means to more effective treatment and better practitioner-patient relationships.