Diabetes forum to examine solutions for the Latino community
Marissa Villa - Conexión
Like any other health problem, the outcome of diabetes has very little to do with a physician, but few people realize that. A forum presented by LULAC and the Texas Diabetes Institute will bring diabetes professionals and patients to see what the solutions actually are.
The forum, called the First Annual Educational Forum on Diabetes: A Latinos in Action Initiative, is a two-day workshop that will allow patients to speak about the challenges they face. The forum is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the University Center for Community Health, 701 S. Zarzamora St.
“It's going to be a good dialog and exchange of information,” said Terri De La Haya, senior vice president of clinical preventive services for the Texas Diabetes Institute.
The forum, which will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday and 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, will look at the solutions to diabetes.
“Unfortunately if you look at all the illnesses that are affecting our community, they all stem from the same problem — healthy choices,” De La Haya said.
De La Haya said research has shown that 50 percent of health outcomes actually have to do with individual choices. Other factors include environment and genetics. Only 10 percent has to do with a physician, she said.
“But if people don't understand what influences their health, they are totally dependent on that 10 percent,” she said.
The conversation about diabetes will look at how to involve family and make changes in choices that negatively affect health.
The forum also will include a play called “Count my Tortillas,” which is a presentation of Mujeres Unidas.
The play looks at not only the struggles at home with families not being supportive of the lifestyle changes diabetics need to make, but also the problems they have with health-care providers.
De La Haya says the forum is a change from the usual educational classes for diabetics.
“We're always holding sessions, but it's nice for them to let us know what's going on with them,” she said.
LULAC leaders came to the institute to develop an outreach program for Latinos in regard to diabetes because the disease plagues the ethnic group at such a high rate.
“As an organization, they wanted to see what can they do to help in the area of health,” De La Haya said.
The free forum is open to the public. For more information, call (210) 288-1357 or (210) 358-7398.
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