Hannah Montana Episode About Diabetes Cancelled

Richard157 · 11-28-2008, 22:20

The new season of “Hannah Montana,” the popular Disney Channel show starring Miley Cyrus, debuted Nov. 9 with a substitute for its previously planned episode about diabetes.

The originally planned season opener, titled “No Sugar, Sugar,” was scheduled to air Sunday, Nov. 2. In it, Hannah’s friend Oliver finds out that he has diabetes. Parents of children with diabetes and other viewers who watched the show ahead of time on Video On Demand issued complaints to Disney that resulted in the episode being pulled for further evaluation.

“During the script writing stage … the matter of depicting a character with diabetes was reviewed by our Standards and Practices executives who consulted with medical experts to inform the story and ensure that it was told responsibly,” says Disney Channel spokesperson Patti McTeague.

Katie Clark, a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation who is the mother of a child with type 1 diabetes and has type 1 herself, says that she saw a version of the episode on YouTube. Most of the episode, Clark says, did a good job of portraying diabetes in a positive way—until the end.

“The last 10 minutes were about [Oliver] trying not to fall into the temptation to have sugar,” says Clark. She describes a birthday party scene filled with cotton candy, candy bars, and other sweets that Oliver is trying to avoid. “His friends say, ‘We know you can’t have sugar. You’re not supposed to have that.’” [The character] acts like all he wants is sugar. They went over the top in saying that he couldn’t have it.”

Kerri Marrone Sparling, author of the popular diabetes blog “Six Until Me,” wrote in her blog that it was dangerous for uninformed viewers to take the episode too seriously. “So what if Oliver gets low at school? And needs sugar? Is the lesson here that diabetics can’t ever have sugar?” writes Sparling. Additionally, she points to other incidents in the episode that upset viewers—including the character with diabetes being called “sugar boy,” and his exaggerated actions that included jumping into a trash can in pursuit of a candy bar.

Another viewer with type 1 diabetes, Angela Chiffy, says that certain themes were portrayed well, including the importance of sharing a diabetes diagnosis without feeling ashamed, and the need for support and acceptance for someone who has been diagnosed, she says. Inaccuracies, however, could have diminished the impact of the show. “The Hannah Montana episode is likely to have been some kids’ first exposure to diabetes, which would have given them an inappropriate view of diabetes that could last a lifetime,” Chiffy says.

The Disney Channel replaced the Hannah Montana episode with an episode of “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream,” about the popular band. Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in November 2005. A Disney spokesperson says the episode delves into how Nick manages his diabetes at home and while touring and performing.

Disney is currently revising “No Sugar, Sugar” in light of the complaints, in particular re-assessing scenes like the birthday party, which may or may not remain.

“There is great interest, especially from parents, in seeing the subject of living with diabetes somehow incorporated into our storytelling for kids and families,” says McTeague, “so we’re hopeful we’ll do so in the future.”

Anthill · 11-29-2008, 06:31

This is a good thing Richard that to get the message right and maybe have them accept the fact we can have the odd cake or the maple syrup on pancakes as we can be like normal people who have the inability to make our own insulin.

A good post Richard. Proud of you.

indoroids · 05-25-2009, 09:56

cute and funny at same time, that's hannah/miley
did you know that :
hannah (japanese) = flower
montana (english) = mointain
hannah montana = mountain of flower

PrincessLainie · 08-03-2009, 00:00

I really think this episode should have aired in light of it's "negative" feedback

Oldlady · 11-06-2009, 06:52

I hope they do air the show, but it might be wise to reassess some of it. When my husband's nephew, who is a Type 1 diabetic, was in school, he would get very depressed sometimes that he couldn't have very much of the things the other kids had during parties at school. He had coped with diabetes since he was 3, so it wasn't new to him, but he still felt the unfairness. He could eat a few things, not frosting but a little of the cake, but he paid for it by not getting to eat anything else that day - in other words, undergoing hunger. Often, his mother would make an angelfood or cake using an artificial sweetner so he wouldn't feel left out. But he was still "different" and this left him depressed sometimes. I can see that a newly diagnosed boy like in the show might really "feel the pain" at a birthday party. I would hope the show would also put in a few informational bits, like what is diabetes, do you catch it from someone else, that sort of thing, so those watching would understand that anyone can get diabetes, although it might not be type 1, and the reasons why.

diabetes709 · 11-06-2009, 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldlady

I hope they do air the show, but it might be wise to reassess some of it. When my husband's nephew, who is a Type 1 diabetic, was in school, he would get very depressed sometimes that he couldn't have very much of the things the other kids had during parties at school. He had coped with diabetes since he was 3, so it wasn't new to him, but he still felt the unfairness. He could eat a few things, not frosting but a little of the cake, but he paid for it by not getting to eat anything else that day - in other words, undergoing hunger. Often, his mother would make an angelfood or cake using an artificial sweetner so he wouldn't feel left out. But he was still "different" and this left him depressed sometimes. I can see that a newly diagnosed boy like in the show might really "feel the pain" at a birthday party. I would hope the show would also put in a few informational bits, like what is diabetes, do you catch it from someone else, that sort of thing, so those watching would understand that anyone can get diabetes, although it might not be type 1, and the reasons why.

The key to all of this, is the T1 vs T2 problem. I have not seen much evidence of it here on this board, but on others, its an ugly confrontation :-)

Since a T2 has no real way to balance BG's, strict diet is imperative, but generally, and I use the term generally to make sure no one misunderstands, a T1 who knows his meds and insulin, can eat pretty much whatever they want, if they are willing to calculate, and medicate for that food. I am not a T1, so I can only observe and learn from what I read, but a T1 can have frosting on their cake, if they are savvy enough to know how to use their insulin to keep things under control.

Now Richard would know so much more than I would, so I hope he has something to say, and that I have not started a flame war here :-) Not everyone is going to be able to do it, but the tools are there to allow a T1 to eat like a normal person with regards to some foods that a T2 simply cannot go near.

This I learned from reading such groups, and also from two families I know quite well where Dad and all the kids are T1. Mom goes nuts :-) but she is the one who tells me about how things work for them. They don't normally indulge, but that with work and pre-planning, they all eat the kind of food I can only fondly remember.

One more time, I am not saying a T1 can just "go to town" but in an odd kind of way, they seem to have more leeway in their diet, than a T2, which from my observations, makes T2's kind of envious, and T1's kind of upset because they don't really go overboard with what they eat either, and its not as easy as it may sound, to manage.

I was born and raised in New Jersey, and of all the things I miss living here in the west now, pizza is at the top. My daughter, not two weeks before I was dx'd, said she was planning a trip for both of us to visit NJ so she could see where I grew up, and maybe learn why I am, the way that I am, :-) and she also wants to have what I have always called, real pizza. I told her it would be fun, but then came the blood test failure....

Well, we can go, but I doubt I will make it out of there without breaking down and eating the pizza, and probably not just one slice :-) I wouldn't want to be a T1, but if I was, my understanding is that I could use my insulin tools and eat the pizza without wacking my BG numbers too badly, if I knew what I was doing, and if I didn't go overboard with it.

I will now tip toe back to my day, and hope I said things properly, and offended no one.

John

Richard157 · 11-06-2009, 22:10

The episode aired on Sunday, September 20th @ 7:30PM ET/PT on Disney Channel.

Read more: http://justjaredjr.buzznet.com/2009/...#ixzz0W7G8eNCa

Richard157 · 11-06-2009, 22:43

No problem John. Lol! The problem with modern day insulins is that large doses cause weight gain. If I ate desserts, pizza, Mexican food, Chinese food and junk food I wanted I would have to take 10 times as much insulin as I do. I would be obese in a few months time. I eat pizza about 4 times per year. I buy the thin crust pizza at Pizza Hut and eat 3 slices. That is 66 carbs. I need 1unit of insulin for every 6 carbs so I use 11 units of insulin for that meal, and it does not fill me up. If I am at home and eat a 25 carb salad and a pork chop I need only 4.2 units of insulin and I am full. I have the same wish list that you do and I avoid those foods 90% of the time, but for a differet reason than you. My weight is holding steady while eating 130 grams of carbs per day. If I start eating more than 130 carbs I start gaining weight.

diabetes709 · 11-07-2009, 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard157

No problem John. Lol! The problem with modern day insulins is that large doses cause weight gain. If I ate desserts, pizza, Mexican food, Chinese food and junk food I wanted I would have to take 10 times as much insulin as I do. I would be obese in a few months time. I eat pizza about 4 times per year. I buy the thin crust pizza at Pizza Hut and eat 3 slices. That is 66 carbs.

Thanks Richard. I surely do understand that you cannot just sit down and eat whatever, whenever, however much you want. No one wants to be in your shoes. Its just an observation I have made that often T1 and t2 don't get along well in discussions because of the T1 ability to control BG with the insulin. Glad it came out inoffensively, as that is sure how I wanted it to sound :-)

3 slices of thin crust is only 66 carbs? I did not know that. I may have to give it a try, start with two, and see what happens.

I still haven't found any pepperidge farm bread tho. That bums me out. I did learn that two slices of Sara Lee whole grain at certain times of the day are kind of okay for me, if I eat it just before I take one of my walks during the day. I'll take what I can get :-)

John

Richard157 · 11-07-2009, 01:25

John, do you own a copy of the "Calorie King"? It includes listings of all chain restaurants like Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Ruby Tuesdays, Red Lobster, etc. It gives calories, carbs, fats, etc for the things served at thos and many other restaurants. You can also use the index to look up almost every food we eat and get tge same info for what you eat at home. I keep one at home and another in my car for eating out.

If you buy that pizza, it was the medium size I was mentioning. My wife eats 2 pieces, I eat 2 then we take the remaining 3 pieces home. I heat it up at lunch the next day and I eat 2 slices then. Three months later we do it again. LOL!