I did not know until tonight's broadcast that Judge Sottomayor is diabetic.  As I've only been half paying attention to her confirmation hearings, does her health go under a microscope too?  After all, I've worked with Type I diabetics (I am type II) and know survival is all about keeping on top of it.  My family also had a close friend who lived with her "juvenile" diabetes for 43 years.  She only survived to her 50's because of the strict diet and monitoring program she put herself on.  I'm so glad to see there is progress is knowing how to treat it once diabetes sets in.  Now, we need to work on preventing it.  

I have been a Type 1 for 47 yrs.  Few people realize the frightening and possbily life threatening effects of low blood sugar unawareness which happens more often when trying to maintain tighter control and taking insulin.  I had hypoglycemic unawareness and discovered Dogs4Diabetics (working in Northern Calif)that trains dogs (free of charge). These medical service dogs learn to smell low blood sugar and alert the diabetic when they are still able to care for themselves.  Check out the website; half of our clients are children over age 12 (min. age). I am a volunteer because I no longer have low blood sugar unawareness since having an islet cell transplant (a JDRF funded study)at UCSF, Oct, 2008.  I have been off insulin since November 2008 - after 47 yrs - and no longer have lows.  While stem cells are a great hope, there are things happening right now for those who need more immediate help.

As a Type One diabetic, I thought this report was superficial and misleading.  Unfortunately I could not listen to the entire report again on your website to check my reaction but you said that using a syringe and blood glucose monitor was a drag, boring, difficult or something like that.  Actually I used those devices for 17 years before I got a pump and so do millions of others without difficulty.

Secondly you implied that diabetics pass out from high blood sugars.  Actually it is the other way around -- they pass out from low sugars and that is usually associated with trying to maintain too tight control.

How do we get our kids up and moving?
July’s dismal review of the United States’ obesity epidemic published by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) helped restate a familiar problem for most Americans: Our population is fat, and getting fatter.

A Boulder, Colo.-based children’s entertainment enterprise called Big Green Company that is committed to providing a fun tool to help kids get healthy with their Emmy winning ( July 09) television show Big Green Rabbit, now airing on public television stations around the U.S.

BIG GREEN RABBIT seeks to inspire the kinds of behaviors in children that improve their health and the health and well-being of the planet. BIG GREEN RABBIT believes there is a direct connection between how children treat themselves, others, and the planet. Children watching the program are encouraged to get up and dance along with Isabelle and Charlie, burning calories as they watch.

Those outside of the BIG GREEN RABBIT viewing area can visit the Webby award-winning website www.BigGreenRabbit.com, where they can watch episodes, play games, learn dances, sing songs, and interact with the characters more in-depth; or check them out on YouTube, over 10 million have watched online.

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