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Health advocates share info with lawmakers
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Posted on Nov 12 2008
A handful of lawmakers were on hand at yesterday’s legislative breakfast to learn about diabetes and home health care.
Approximately 10 lawmakers gathered with students from the Public School System to listen to health advocates share data and stories.
Representatives from Marianas Health Services, Inc., the Commonwealth Diabetes Coalition, the Public School System and the Diabetes Prevention Program were on hand to share their knowledge.
Lynn Tenorio, a member of the Diabetes Coalition, presented data on the impact diabetes plays locally.
Diabetes, along with hypertension and heart disease, are the three most common non-communicable diseases on Saipan, she said, and 70 percent of all patients at the Commonwealth Health Center are diagnosed with diabetes.
One of the main things people can do to prevent diabetes is weight control, Tenorio said.
“There’s nothing we can do about our genes, but we can certainly do something about our weight,” she said.
“Medicine is not a cure all,” she added. “It’s not the magic pill.”
November is National Home Health Care Month and National Diabetes Prevention and Awareness Month. The breakfast is one of several activities scheduled for the month of November. Today and tomorrow there will be a Pacific Health Care Conference at Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan.
