Another Unfortunate Experiment - Diabetes in Situ?
At NZ's National Women's Hospital, 30 years ago women diagnosed with carcinoma in situ (CIS), were not all treated with the best available care. This became known as "The Unfortunate Experiment."
In NZ today, because insulin testing is only available in main hospitals and can only be ordered by a few specialists, a pre-diabetic condition Dr Joseph Craft calls "diabetes in situ" is not diagnosed.
Diabetes in situ is something most people over 40 have developed, even though your doctor says, "You are healthy." This is about where you draw the line between sickness and health. It's also about when you first understand that if you don't make some changes to your lifestyle, you are headed for major problems.
In the diagram below, we're showing the insulin response to a glucose drink over four hours. (You usually see the glucose response on a similar graph.) The people on the red line using the common HbA1c test , or a fasting glucose test would be diagnosed as diabetic. The people on the blue line are healthy. Those on the yellow or orange line, according to Joseph Kraft, have diabetes in situ, but in NZ, they would not be identified as being at risk.
So are you at risk? If you are over 40, and you live in NZ, probably, even when your doctor says you are "healthy."
Here are some clues. Do you weigh more than you did at 25? Do you have problems controlling your weight? Do you eat snack foods a lot? In your blood tests, are any of the following high: blood pressure, triglycerides, or fasting glucose. Is your HDL cholesterol low? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you retain water easily? Family history of diabetes, stroke or heart disease?
Does that include most of us? I guess so. What can we do? There's lots you can do. Read the link attached to this post. Read the two previous posts. That will keep you busy for a while. Become aware, and take an active interest in your own future.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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51.9% Human-centred experience and communication
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15% Critical thinking
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30.1% Resilience and adaptability
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3% Other - I will share below!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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