Ms. Novak, despite expressing that we might consider thinking of prediabetes as “stage one diabetes,” urged caution in forcing people into an overly “medical” sense of their health. She pointed out that interaction with medical professionals can carry stigma in prediabetes and diabetes. Such stigma can be reduced in DPPs and other prevention programs that are not run by medical professionals, as the people who facilitate them may be considered more approachable. Others added that requiring medical professionals to lead prevention programs can drive up costs and limit access. Dr. Vigersky may have phrased the perils of over-medicalization best when he said that people “naturally avoid medicalization of their lives.” Especially with something like prediabetes, if we don’t feel it—if it doesn’t hurt—then we are unlikely to naturally want to address the issue with the attention that an illness can demand.
