The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of Diabetes Patients

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
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Dr. Frank Schwartz, Associate Professor of Endocrinology and Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center at Ohio University talks the problem of diabetes in Appalachia.




More on the topic on my blog:

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

Info box: What Is Diabetes?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?

Where Does the BMI Come From?

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
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The body mass index is a statistical tool that compares height and weight. Dr. Garabed Eknoyan of the Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, authored a 2007 study on the inventor of the now called Body Mass Index, the Belgian mathematician Adolphe Queteletan.

Dr. Eknoyan writes that after World War II when interest in mortality of overweight people culminated “it became evident then that the best index was the ratio of the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters, or the Quetelet Index described in 1832”.

Only over a century later, in 1972, it was named the Body Mass Index.

The BMI, however, does not take the percentage of body fat into account and thus does not account for athletes and people who have extreme weights but are muscular. But despite these exception the BMI is clinically the most practical tool to measure obesity according to Dr. Darlene Berryman, associate professor for Food, Nutrition and Hospitality at Ohio University.

BMI calculator – Just type in your height and weight, your BMI is just one click away.


More on the topic on my blog:

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Schwartz

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
(Back to main story)

Dr. Frank Schwartz, Associate Professor of Endocrinology and Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center at Ohio University talks about discrimination against diabetes patients and the failings of the U.S. health care system. He thinks the solution would be a two tier system such as in Germany.




More on the topic on my blog:

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?

What Is Food Insecurity?

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
(Back to main story)

Food insecurity has been measured for the United States since 1995 and has stayed about the same since then. For example, roughly 33 percent of single women with children are food insecure compared to the average American household for which only 11 percent are food insecure. Because Black or Hispanic families usually earn less income, roughly 22 percent are food insecure. Living in the South and in the West is a little worse than the average but we have more immigrants there. Married couple seems to do better.

In 2007 (the most current numbers) 11 percent (13 million) U.S. households were food insecure at some point during the year according to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food insecurity means that people participated in food assistance programs, receiving food from a food bank or included family members whose eating patterns were disrupted because not enough food was available.Food pantries were established in the 1980s as a temporary solution but are still here today.

Source: Dr. David Holben
Assistant professor for food, nutrition, and hospitality at Ohio University
Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics


More on the topic on my blog:

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?

What Is Diabetes?

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
(Back to main story)














Diabetes is a complex disease and there are multiple forms. The two most common types of diabetes that we are aware of are Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is the form of diabetes where the beta cells that make insulin are destroyed. This form requires that you take insulin in order to survive. It’s usually autoimmune in origin in that your own immune system, which is normally designed to protect you from infections, mistakes the beta cells as foreign and destroys them. It’s more common in children and young adults and comprises about 10% of all forms of diabetes. Its prevalence is increasing slightly, but not as much as Type 2.

Type 2 diabetes is more complex to understand. It is due to an abnormality in insulin action initially as well as in insulin secretion. It’s more common in families. Its prevalence is increasing in epidemic proportions all over the world and is primarily linked to obesity and lack of physical exercise. As the world becomes larger more primarily in visceral fats, the fat cells themselves produce excessive amounts of fat because they can’t store it anymore. They also release inflammatory chemicals, which then circulate in the blood and interfere with the action of insulin, the liver, muscles, and the ability of the pancreas to release insulin when you need it.

Source: Dr. Frank Schwarz
Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center
Associate Professor of Endocrinology at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

For a person to identify if he or (s)he is diabetic or pre-diabetic, (s)he needs to have blood work done to measure fasting blood sugar. If levels range between 101 to 125 mg/dl (milligram per deciliter), (s)he are pre-diabetic.

Source: Karen Bailey
Dietician in the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center


More on the topic on my blog:

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?

How Much Food Is Enough?

Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
(Back to main story)























For a heart to beat, lungs to pump, and other basic functions, an average man needs around 1800 calories, a woman around 1200.

Beyond that, our bodies need energy for activity and to keep our body temperature among other things.

This count can range from 200 to 2000 calories depending on your labor; doing desk duty it will be closer to 200.

Source: Dr. Darlene Berryman
Associate professor for food, nutrition and hospitality at Ohio University


More on the topic on my blog:

Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)

The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)

Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)

Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)

Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?

castro's daughter speaks at ohio university -- alina fernández shares her personal story with packed audience

the ballroom in ohio university's baker student center was crowded beyond its capacity. an organizer even instructed the audience that it is in a state of fire hazard because of doors being blocked by people who came to see her this evening: alina fernández revuelta, the daughter of fidel castro and natalia revuelta clews. ms. fernández gave the keynote address for the international week on monday may 11, 2009.






















in her rather short speech she gave an account of her life in cuba -- a mixture of broad strokes in cuban history, the living conditions of cubans, and personal anecdotes. whereas she called natalia fernández her mother, she barely referred to fidel castro as "father" rather calling him by his first name.

she was born in 1956 because fidel castro had an affair with her mother when he was married to another woman. she said her mother had curves "like a coke bottle until coke came in cans" and because of her beauty and letters she sent to fidel in jail a relationship between the two developed.

in her speech she mentioned little of her personal meetings with her father except for one pivotal moment: she said having watched the revolution of the bearded men in green uniforms on television when she was four years old, she was astonished when the bearded man she had so often seen on the screen suddenly appeared in her living room.

she said she remembers the revolution from the television: vive la cuba libre! shouted the bearded man she said and donald duck and uncle scrooge vanished from the screen forever. the bearded man stayed and talked, often for hours, she said, his longest speech lasting more than twelve. she and other children would literally get down in front of the television to pray to fidel, she told the audience, to be please finished with his harangue before seven when the children's entertainment was scheduled. when fidel visited her house, she said, it was most of the time at night often bringing her presents.

she said that it is hard to tell a personal story and the story of a country at the same time. indeed, it seemed that she felt most comfortable when she could fall back into personal anecdotes or general critical remarks about cuba, which she said she escaped from disguised as a spanish tourist in december 1993. she was followed by her daughter, who she called "the troll." she's living in miami, florida where ms. fernández hosts a radio talk show on wqba called simplemente alina. in 1998 she wrote a book called "castro's daughter: an exile's memoir of cuba." based on her book a movie production by oscar-winning bobby moresco is planned at the moment.

her speech was intermingled with little jokes when she talked of her life such as that even in prison men can cheat -- referring to fidel castro's letters to her mother while also writing to his wife. she elicited laughter from the audience when she said she misses the dancing and partying in her country where she could drink in public. in the united states, she says, she feels she doesn't have a social life because there this kind of partying doesn't exist. even now, she said humorously, she's still scared of the united states. she fled cuba after she developed oppositional political views and joined a dissident movement. "once you are an enemy your are only seen as one even if you are a relation," she said.

when she didn't speak of personal anecdotes she talked about the conditions she experienced when growing up in cuba: the social control, the spies of the commission to keep up the revolution, the scarcity of food and electricity in the early 1990s, the so-called special period or phase particular, the disappropriation of the farmer's produce, the execution of political opponents, the "peter pan children", kids that disappeared in cuba likening it to the kindertransport ordered by goering in nazi germany, and the little chance to move upward on the social ladder.

"people have free education and free health insurance but they don't get paid for their work," she said. "most people make $5 dollars a month if you're good maybe $20" but that people had to stand in lines to get food. she remembered one political measure in the special phase when chickens where distributed to every cuban, three chicks a person, so that they could raise them to provide meat. "first you raise them, then you say okay today i eat pepino," she said in a bitter joke.

she spoke about how she led a split life, on one hand living like any other cuban but on the other hand dealing with a special role her birth had bestowed upon her. when she was ten she learnt that the bearded man who had visited her house many nights was her father, she said, and not the man her mother had married, orlando fernández. that's when she fell into an identity conflict "but rebelling against yourself is good for nothing," she said. she told the audience how people queued up in front of her house when she was on the way to school. she said people thought because she had a relation to fidel castro she could petition on their behalves. she said it was sad that she couldn't.

the audience had about half hour to 40 minutes to ask questions. three or four people attempted to get answer from her about the future of cuba -- without success. she said she won't predict anything but that cuba is run as a family business.




















a couple of people made comments about the positive sides in cuba such as organic food growers and their movement around havana or that ms. fernández' was "one-sided." ms. fernández said that she had her point and didn't not answer to these comments beyond that.

a few other people spoke of their experiences as relatives of cubans who escaped the island. one of the them thanked ms. fernández for "speaking the truth" so that people can see beyond the curtain and don't romanticize communism, the legend cuba, or the revolution.

she said she has no desire of returning to cuba after having waited long to get out. with fidel castro she has no relation today.

ps: okay, this post seems to have nothing to with germany or u.s.-german relations. having been born and lived part of my childhood in the german democratic republic (gdr) -- or what most u.s. residents refer to as "communist germany" -- i've been interested in and fascinated by cuba. along with other eastern european nations they were so-called brother states to us i.e. the gdr led by the big brother, the sowjet union.

although it is hard to compare the cuban conditions to my memory of the former gdr republic, which is now east germany, standing in line for food, the scarcity of items, the spy in the neighborhood, and the state claiming of private property sounded very familiar to me. another issue ms. fernández mentioned reminded me of the labor situation in the former gdr i.e. that everyone men and women alike had to work -- for better or for worse, in cuba for minimal to no pay, in the former gdr with more money for men and punishment such as jail for unemployed.

but before i get too much more into my story of partially growing up in communism i close with a favorite quotation from german author theodor fontane's master piece effi briest: "das ist ein zu weites feld" -- this is too wide a subject (literally though too wide of a field).

at least for this post.



read more details on her escape from cuba in this 1998 new york times article: "how it felt do grow up as castro's daughter"

a transcipt of an interview by cnn.com with her from 2002: "a look at fidel castro's daughter living in exile in miami"

a more recent article of 2005 in the times online: "alina fernandez"

an even more recent interview in foreign policy: "seven question's: Castro's dauther speaks out"