It's one thing to be ignorant because one is uninformed and indifferent. It's another to spread one's ignorance.

Randy Jackson - he had gastric bypass surgery, he's on American Idol. He's one of the Jackson brothers. He's also a bit of an idiot. Just now, as a guest on The View, he was discussing his weight and that now he has Type 2 diabetes and "There's nothing you can do about it." He then when on to proclaim - pertaining to weight management - that "diet and exercise don't work for most people."

Randy, first: diet and exercise don't work only if you don't do it. We're not talking about rice cakes and 4 hours a day at the gym. Just small adjustments and changes over time.

Now about nothing to be done about Type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association and the Mayo Clinic seem to differ. Here's a snippet from the latter's website.

"Type 2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body's main source of fuel. Type 2 diabetes is often preventable, but the condition is on the rise — fueled largely by the current obesity epidemic.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your body is resistant to the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar into your cells — or your body produces some, but not enough, insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. Left uncontrolled, the consequences of type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening." (emphasis mine.)

While it may be true that once an individual let's himself go fail-safe, past the point-of-no-return, the condition cannot be "cured" and must be dealt with via medication, here's a thought:
"Don't get past the point-of-no-return!"

Off-hand, casually dismissive remarks like RJ's - especially coming from someone with celebrity status - simply give license to others to be irresponsible with life-style choices, or give up trying.

While it's true that there are people who for medical reasons cannnot keep their metabolism under control - perhaps people with thyroid conditions - the reality is that most people can keep their bodies pretty well-tuned and functioning simply by giving it what it needs: decent nutrition and regular physical activity and nothing that it doesn't need or want: tobacco, Sterno, etc.

The human body is a remarkable creation and is surprisingly forgiving . . . until it gets the message that the occupant doesn't give a *&%$. Then it might just refuse to play anymore. I can't do anything about my changes in vision: no amount of steamed broccoli or aerobic exercise is going to reverse my astigmatism. But it's a quantifiable fact that if I feel my clothes getting tight I can start walking again and watch the sugar intake and - lo and behold, it's a miracle! - my clothes start fitting again.

This is another entry in the Don't Pee On My Leg And Tell Me It's Raining folder.