Bezzy, from Healthline Media, has just created and released a flock of online communities for various chronic conditions, and one of them is type 2 diabetes. Bezzy is the creation of Healthline Media. You can read more about it here.

I think this is great as there are few online communities for people with type 2. The online space for diabetes often goes by the acronym, DOC, Diabetes Online Community, yet, I would guess 90+% of the communities are by and for people with type 1 diabetes. I get it. The label of Type 2 often comes with stigma, i.e. “You created this yourself!” and “fat and lazy” buzzwords. Maybe the world is slowly waking up to the falsity of these statements. Type 2 diabetes is a condition of insulin resistance and bad food, unsafe neighborhoods, illiteracy, healthcare deserts and genetics all contribute.

On a Bezzy site you’ll be greeted by writers who live with the condition, community members and “guides” and peer connections, empathy, support, resources and ideas for living well with the condition. More specifically you’ll find:

• Daily live chats that offer ways to engage with other members, moderated discussions, and spaces for safe sharing. 
• Access to content exclusive to Bezzy, including content franchises, essays, and tip-based content written from the lived experience of condition advocates, that helps members know they’re not alone. 
• Bezzy’s matching feature pairs users with similar interests and characteristics on a daily basis who are likely to form deep connections. Some individuals have met in person, become best friends, and even fallen in love! 
• 1:1 messaging is available for members who don’t feel comfortable sharing in a group. 
• Facebook and Instagram live chats on social, community-focused programming, and narrative-driven storytelling offer a variety of new and interesting ways to interact.

In addition to type 2 diabetes, Bezzy’s communities currently include Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Breast Cancer (BC), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Chronic Migraine, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). If successful, there will be more communities coming.