Organised for World Diabetes Day, it featured University of Otago diabetes authority Prof Jim Mann, endocrinologists Associate Prof Patrick Manning and Dr Stephanie Farrand, and Diabetes New Zealand president Chris Baty.
Owaka woman Sandra Grant, who is involved with fundraising to find a cure for type 1, said messages in the media discriminated against type 1 sufferers by implicating lifestyle. The other phrase she wanted to ban was ''tsunami of diabetes''.
In response, Prof Manning sympathised with concerns public health messages were potentially stigmatising, but said the problem had to be framed in ''emotive'' terms to be noticed.
''If we downplay this in any way it makes no headway politically.''
The message needed to be heeded by politicians to create change.
People did not choose to be obese, which was caused by genetics and the environment. People certainly could not choose their genes, and it was extremely difficult to overcome a high-calorie diet environment, Prof Manning said.
Also responding to Mrs Grant, Prof Mann said he spoke to journalists almost daily, and ''I don't think we should be too hard on the media''.
Most were responsible reporting the ''huge issue'' of obesity, and the Government's inaction about the major health problem.
Public awareness was crucial, and had come along way - it was once considered shameful to be a type 1 diabetic, he said.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times afterwards, Mrs Grant (39) said people could be judgemental, asking about diet and how much sugar she was fed as a child. These were not factors relevant to type 1 diabetes.
She helped fundraising for stem cell research, and said lifestyle messages could mislead people to think a medical cure was unnecessary.
Diabetes
Type 1: Insulin-dependent autoimmune condition, cannot be prevented. The body destroys the cells that make insulin.
Type 2: Linked with obesity and excess blood glucose, accounts for about 90% of cases.
