Diet and Health Articels

What happens when you do "Supersize Me" in reverse? Why, you get a documentary like "Raw for 30 Days." The film-makers of "Raw" got six type 2 diabetics with less than stellar lifestyle habits and persuaded them to switch out hamburgers and fried chicken for a raw, whole foods diet consisting of all-organic, all-vegan foods. Mmm mmm.

You can't see the movie quite yet. But you can see the preview. Just click on over to the "Raw for 30 Days" website. My source says the preview can also be viewed on YouTube or Google Video. The finished product is now in post-production and should be released in time for Spring 2008 film festivals.

The documentary was directed by Sundance Film Festival-winner Aiyana Elliott, but the concept was created by the executive producer, Mark Perlmutter. The idea is to demonstrate that type 2 diabetes can be reversed "naturally" - that is, without the aid of a battery of prescription drugs. Says Perlmutter, "The release of our nine-minute preview may be the first exposure some have to a greater understanding of controlling, if not conquering the disease."

Okay, so the premise is a little shaky. For one thing: how much can be achieved in only thirty days? For another: it's changing lifestyle habits and maintaining them over time that's key in reversing symptoms of t2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. But why be a party-pooper? After all, raising awareness about diabetes is a good thing. I would definitely like to see this film.

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Details are emerging from today's advisory committee meeting on Glaxo's Avandia. First up was a presentation by Dr. Robert Ratner of Washington's MedStar Research Institute outlining the unprecedented spread of type 2 diabetes. Ratner emphasized the inadequacy of current drug therapies for diabetes and the strain on the health system caused by the disease. The possible implication: Avandia does more good than harm right now, so let's keep it as an option.

Next, in written preview comments, an official from the US Food and Drug Administration stated his belief that the diabetes drug should be taken off the market. The official, Dr. David Graham, says the heart risks posed by Avandia mean it's just not worth the risk to patients. Especially, he said, not when there are safer alternatives like Actos (by Takeda), which also stabilizes blood sugar levels.

It's a significant step that someone from the FDA publicly made this statement. But will anything come of it? Maybe not. The decision about whether or not Avandia stays on the market is not up to Dr. Graham, who The New York Times reports has a history of coming down harder on drug risks than many colleagues. (Give the guy a medal!) Thing is: there appear to be plenty of other officials within the FDA who don't agree with Graham's interpretation.

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With about a month or so left of summer, there's still plenty of time to get good use out of those convenient and funky flip-flops of yours. Have to go run an errand? Throw on the "flips." Bringing the trash outside? Throw on the "flips." Spending the entire day shopping downtown? Hmmm...this may be one of those instances where the "flips" may be more flop, and more sensible shoes are a better option.

Flip-flops offer almost no support to your feet and ankles. For people living with diabetes, foot care should be of great importance, so traipsing around town for an extended period of time in flip-flops isn't really the best idea. Constantly wearing them can potentially lead to tendinitis or even metarsalagia -- the inflammation of the joints located in the ball of the foot. Moreover, flip-flops offer very little protection against sharp objects such as rocks, glass, or metal; leaving your feet vulnerable for injury.

While it is important to let your feet "breathe," flip-flops are footwear best worn during times of relaxation, not when you plan to spend the day walking.

Tags:diabetes, feet, flip-flops, foot care, FootCare, podiatrist

New York, New York -- it's a hell of a town. People from around the globe make their way to the Big Apple, just to get a look at the many extraordinary people, places and things that make NYC the great city it is. However, what they're probably not seeing is a citywide epidemic; one that continues to pervade at a staggering rate.

According to a new Health Department report, close to 500,000 New Yorkers -- which pretty much translates to one out of every eight adults -- have been diagnosed with with diabetes. In addition, there are an estimated 200,000 other people who have diabetes but are unaware of the fact that they do. The morbidity rate for diabetes-related deaths rose by 75 percent between 1990 and 2003.

The report also points out the disparities that exist between different racial, gender, and socio-economic groups. If you'd care to take a look at this report, you can find it at: www.nyc.gov/health

Tags:diabetes, Health Department, HealthDepartment, New York City, NewYorkCity, type 2, Type2

The New York City diabetes database, created to track the growth of (type 2) diabetes amongst the city's residents, has raised the ire of some who claim it violates their right to privacy. A reporter for the Staten Island Advance quotes resident Melissa: "Every time I go to have my blood sugar checked, my test results are being wired to the (city) Health Department. The idea of your privacy being taken away from you goes across all bounds." Melissa also says she doesn't think the city has justification to track patient records for something like diabetes, which is not contagious like, for example, tuberculosis.

My first instinct on reading this: cry me a river, Melissa. Residents should be aware their blood sugar levels are being sent to the health department, and they should be aware of why it is being done. But, really, isn't it a tad paranoid to worry too much about privacy? I mean, why should anyone care about your blood sugar levels out of all the thousands of others out there? If this is a way to gauge how type 2 diabetes is spreading in the NYC area, and if this data can help (as the city claims) determine how best to spend public money on containing the problem, I say go for it.

On the other hand, protecting peoples' privacy should be a factor for consideration, says Dr. Peter Sheehan, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and board member of the American Diabetes Association. "We applaud this kind of work," says Dr. Sheehan, but "we're somewhat concerned about the privacy of the individual." This concern is shared by the people entrusted with maintaining the database, says Dr. Diana K. Berger of the Health Department: "We are so careful to protect people's privacy," says Dr. Berger. She adds that only a handful of people have access to the room in which the data is stored, and data is encrypted as it makes its way from laboratories to the city.

All-in-all, it's a slightly unsettling case of weighing priorities: public good versus the right to privacy.

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