Diabetes, Latinos and the Supreme Court… who knew?

Readers: This post is contributed by Melissa Duque, Hispanic marketing intern at Conexión Marketing.

Opponents of Sonia Sotomayor have found another reason to not want her as the first Latina Supreme Court Judge: She has diabetes. In a world where we are constantly improving treatments for health problems, it’s interesting that people can find this as a deterrent.
If appointed Sonia Sotomayor wouldn’t just be the first Latina Supreme Court Judge, she would also be the first Diabetic Supreme Court Judge. The controversy between diabetes and Sotomayor and her ability to be a Supreme Court Justice has brought awareness to all those living with diabetes.

“Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which the immune system destroys the body’s insulin-producing beta cells,” according to the Seattle Times editorial Diabetes no reason to reject Sotomayor by Irl B. Hirsch and James S. Hirsch. “Improvements in care have sharply reduced the risk of complications.”

All this talk has to be more than just about the First Diabetic or Latina Supreme Court Judge. It needs to be about how diabetes affects Americans and how those with Type 1 diabetes are living with it.

According to Dr. Sonia Hernandez from Community Health Center of Snohomish County, anyone not of Anglo-American descent has a much higher propensity for diabetes. We need to look then at why Latinos and other ethnic groups have a higher susceptibility to the disease and what to do about it.

The silver lining to all this debate about Sotomayor and her diabetes is that diabetes is now on the forefront of people’s mind. Hopefully this increase in attention will help those who may not have had access or knowledge to be able to find the right tools in better understanding the disorder and how to treat it.

Ke Buena (1210 AM) radio will feature a show this Sunday discussing Latinos and Diabetes, the causes of the disorder, and how to take back control. The show is called Información es salud con Community Health Plan, and it airs 6:30 – 7 on Sunday evenings.

Join this Sunday as Dr. Hernandez discusses diabetes with Host Gigi Basaure.

*NEW* Spanish-Language Radio Health Show

This Sunday from 6:30-7pm, tune in to Ke Buena (1210AM) in the Seattle Metropolitan area for the debut of a new Spanish-language program called Información es Salud con Community Health Plan.

This show was created by Community Health Plan of Washington to inform and educate the Latino community on various topics by providing a Q&A format with health providers and educators.

The half-hour program will be hosted by Gigi Basaure, and this Sunday's show will feature interviews with Jorge Madrazo and Jackie Vasquez from Sea Mar Community Health Centers, as well as Adriana Flores as a spokesperson for the local chapter of American Diabetes Association. The topics will include diabetes and nutrition.

Tune in to this new show, and let us know your thoughts!

FREE FAMILY EVENT TOMORROW - Diabetes Expo

Tomorrow, the American Diabetes Association hosts its 8th Annual Diabetes Expo!

WHERE: Qwest Field Event Center, West Hall

WHEN: Tomorrow, April 18, 10:00am - 5:00pm

WHAT:

*FREE health screenings

*FREE cooking demos

*FREE exercise demos

*FREE education with one-on-one time with local experts

*FREE give-aways

*FREE youth activities in our Planet D area with XBox 360 ® gaming stations

*and of course more opportunities to win FREE door prizes!!!

There will also be many vendors to provide you with samples, information, and more. And, as always, we will have a great lineup of speakers. This year's Diabetes Expo main stage speakers include:

*Dr. Laura Baker - "Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease: Taking Control to Improve the Odds"

*Dr. Paul Ciechanowski - "Diabetes and Depression: The Ups and Downs of Glucose and Mood"

*Dr. Irl Hirsch, Dr. Molly Carlson, and a panel of experts - "Using Diabetes Technology to Control Your Diabetes"

*Dr. David McCulloch - "Top 10 Tips for Taking Control of Your Diabetes"

*Jean Gardner, MA, RD, CDE - "Pre-Diabetes: Is This My Wake-up Call?"

*Alice Fong and Jennifer Okemah - "Take Control: Making Exercise Fun and Nutrition Myth Busters"

Join them tomorrow - Save time and register online.

One Week from Today - Amerian Diabetes Association Expo

In just one week: The FREE American Diabetes Association Expo! This is becoming a most important topic for our health in the general market as well as a serious concern within the Latino community, where one of every four children is at risk for diabetes.

WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 10am - 5pm
WHERE: Qwest Field Event Center
WHY: Because your heath is #1!

• Diabetes experts, who will discuss prevention and treatments
• Cooking demonstrations
• Fitness demonstrations (Zumba, yoga, salsa and more!)
• Access to health screenings, for sugar and cholesterol levels and more

See the organization's website for more details and to register for this FREE opportunity to improve your health and that of your family! Spread the word!


HAVE TIME TO DONATE?
Our former intern, Adriana Flores Aponte, has been volunteering for this organization since she was working with us more than a year ago. You can help, too! Below are volunteer opportunities at the Expo and the three shift times. If you are willing and able, they would greatly appreciate your help.

There are 3 shifts:
1) 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 2) 12:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. 3) 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Volunteer Needs:

1. Registration booths: Assisting with day of, online, and speaker/volunteer check-in.
2. Attendee surveys: Walk around and solicit feedback, encouraging people to fill out the surveys and turn them in before they leave.
3. Vendor/Exhibitor relations: Bridge the gap between our production management team and the vendors, be a runner between the two, etc.
4. Ask the experts and screenings: This opportunity is only open to people or students in certain medical fields.

If you're interested, contact Brad Van Dyne at the American Diabetes Association:
Call 206-282-4616 Ext. 7214 or write him at bvandyne@diabetes.org