Cheshire TikTok star on a mission to end stigma around being diabetic

A teenager from Cheshire who posts videos online about living with Type One diabetes says he hopes to use his platform to change the "negative stigma" attached to the condition.

"I was tired, I was thirsty, I was thin - I think I was seven stone, and I need the toilet constantly." said 17-year-old TikToker Johnny Bailey, from Winsford, Cheshire.

"One of my first TikToks was about drinking 32 bottles of water a day. I think overall, every form of diabetes has been misunderstood."

Johnny @johnnyalanbailey is on a mission to raise awareness as diabetes prevalence is expected to reach almost 5.5 million across the UK by 2030.

"It can affect children and it can affect adults. It's not our fault we have diabetes. It doesn't mean the general public has to ask us how our days been because we have diabetes, it's just understanding that sometimes we will struggle. That's the part of changing peoples perspective." said Johnny.

Research by Abbott found that 80% of the general public claim to have never witnessed diabetes stigma, despite almost the same proportion of the diabetes community (73%) having seen stigmatising behaviour towards the condition, particularly on social media, TV and online.

Roughly one in four (24%) people with diabetes surveyed agree that others’ opinions have affected their ability to manage their condition.

Despite the public’s misconceptions of diabetes, the survey also found positive signals for improvement as the public recognise the impact of stigma, with approximately half (47%) agreeing that the language used to speak about diabetes reinforces stigma and three quarters (75%) agreeing more education is needed to understand more about the condition.

Johnny added: "I want to change the publics perception of diabetes.

"Stigma affects the managing of the condition, our managing of a condition that's chronic, and that's there for life - and that they will struggle with. So stigmatising language has just got no place."

The Let's Change Perspective Campaign

Abbott has launched a new campaign in the UK, Let’s Change Perspective to explore the impact of unconscious bias and to help change the conversation around diabetes.

This includes a new tool, the Let’s Change Perspective Guide, developed in partnership with people with diabetes and Professor Deborah Christie, with input and guidance from Diabetes UK.

The tool aims to empower everyone to challenge diabetes stigma in the moment in various situations such as in work, or hearing a joke or hurtful comment about diabetes.

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