22
LIVING
'Screen' and not heard
It's time for chronic conditions to take centre stage, as
a survey suggests a lack of visibility on UK screens.
A
new survey* suggests that
people with diabetes in
the UK believe chronic
conditions like theirs are
hugely underrepresented on screen.
Of the 1003 people with diabetes
polled by FreeStyle Libre, 92% say
they would like to see more people
living with diabetes represented on
screen, as currently only 14% believe
their condition is understood by
others.
Photo credit Kevin Byrne
A poor
understanding of
the realities of life
with diabetes can
come ignorance,
hurtful comments
and unconscious
bias. ~ Neil Harris
There are 15m people in the UK
who live with a long-term health
condition[1]. Diabetes is a complex
condition that affects an estimated
4.8m people in the UK[2], a number
which has been increasing and could
rise to 5.5 million people by 2030[3].
The findings from the survey
suggest it's therefore important for
characters on our screen to paint
a fuller picture of what it means to
live with a medical condition so that
people feel comfortable to speak up
and get the help they need.
As many as 54% of people living
with diabetes believe characters
on British screens portray their
condition inaccurately - a sentiment
felt stronger among people with
Type 2 diabetes (59%); and two
thirds (66%) feel there is more
work to be done to ensure current
representation of diabetes and
chronic conditions is an accurate
reflection of UK society.
Those surveyed feel that the lives
of characters with diabetes on screen