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Author: SharleeD

Nov 17th 2012 at 6:00:39 AM

This trope might work better as a broad Hollywood Diabetes trope than one specifically about diabetic comas.

The biggest problem with the "eat cake = instant collapse" scenario, of course, is that it takes ''time'' for the carbohydrates in food to be dissolved, digested, and absorbed into the bloodstream.  Even eating the entire cake at one sitting shouldn't have such an effect until later in the day.

Failure to distinguish Type 1 diabetes (the insulin-dependent sort) from Type 2 (dietary and potentially reversible) is a common result of Did Not Do The Research.  Likewise, failure to call the condition diabetes ''mellitus'', which distinguishes it from diabetes insipidus (a rare disorder unrelated to blood sugar).

As for the ViewersAreMorons justification, it's worth a mention that the symptom diabetes mellitus was ''named'' for is also not something easily featured, because NobodyPoops -- or rather, pees -- in fiction.  Constant trips to the restroom tend to evoke comedy, not dramatic tension, which also makes it awkward to depict if you're aiming for drama.