My child has started to say that his blood sugar is going to be high so he doesn’t want to eat. He says that if he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t have to check his blood sugar, that it won’t be high, and he doesn’t have to take a shot. How do you suggest that I deal with this?

Please let your child know that whether he eats or not, he still needs insulin and he still needs to check his blood sugars. Everyone needs insulin, and people that don’t have diabetes still make insulin during the day, even when they do not eat. In addition, everyone needs food as it�s their body�s source of energy to grow, play, learn and be healthy. When a person without diabetes eats, their body manages the blood sugar impact of the food by making insulin to cover the food. For people with diabetes, they take a shot of insulin to cover the impact of the food. If food refusal becomes a bigger issue, please contact your diabetes team to get a referral to a psychologist who can help.

JWB