DIABETES

"Diabetes is a family disease. Not only does it tend to run in families, but the eating habits and needs of one family member directly affect those of other family members," says Jacqueline M. Kerr, M.D., a family practitioner who works closely with the Seton Ease Community Health Center. More women than men have the disease. The American Diabetes Association estimates approximately 6.5 million women are diabetics, and half of them do not know it.

"For adult-onset diabetes the best cure is prevention, reducing risk through developing good eating habits while you are young," she says. Not only can you help prevent diabetes development in middle age, but it can create a lot of complications with childbirth.

"For adult-onset diabetes the best cure is prevention, reducing risk through developing good eating habits while you are young," she says. Not only can you help prevent diabetes development in middle age, but it can create a lot of complications with childbirth.

A recent study indicates women are twice as likely to die from diabetes than from breast cancer, and that people with diabetes run a much higher risk of dying from other illnesses such as flu and pneumonia.

Giving daily insulin is a life-saving treatment for many diabetics, but most still must adhere to strict dietary practices to successfully control the disease. Insulin use mush be balanced to match food intake, and if either insulin or food intake fall out of balance, the patient suffers.

"The key to successful treatment is to make sure patients are supplying their body's energy needs on a regular basis," says Dr. Kerr, who employs a nutritionist's expertise to help teach individuals how to manage food. "Many of us are guilty of eating too much for our body's daily needs and packing most of our daily caloric intake into one meal, generally dinner. That doesn't work well at all for diabetics, who must space out meals to keep energy levels adequate throughout the day." At Seton East, Dr. Kerr treats many working poor Hispanic patients with diabetes.

"It is unclear whether there is an ethnic genetic connection between being Hispanic and developing diabetes, whether there is a cultural/lifestyle connection or whether being a low-income family is a contributor," she says. "What is clear is that people who are 20 percent or more overweight are more likely to develop it."

Dr. Kerr believes there are many barriers to good diabetes management in low-income neighborhoods.

"Regular exercise is a problem if the neighborhood is unsafe and you don't have transportation to a safe area. People who don't read well don't get information from labels. Low-income families eat a lot of canned foods, which may have too much salt and a lot of hidden fat. Unless you stick to seasonal produce, fresh vegetables can be expensive. To be successful in managing diabetes, the patient has to be willing to manage all of these problems, not just food," she adds.

Dr. Kerr follows diabetic patients regularly and changes their medication as their conditions improve.

"Despite barriers, we've had a lot of success stories. An added benefit is that family members usually trim down and shape up, too. The best thing that can happen to you is to have someone who loves you stick to your regime."