Blog Entries With Tag: health advocacy

Blog: Chris_Body1

From:

Earlier this summer I had the good fortune to be a presenter at a conference on the use of Social Media in medical marketing and education.    Two of the most interesting folks presenting there were bloggers from the diabetes community, Kerri Morrone Sparling of sixuntilme.com and Manny Hernandez of tudiabetes.com .  What really struck me was how they both took a challenging chronic condition, Type1 Diabetes, and turned it into a platform for health advocacy.   

As a result both have become leaders for progress in this field, challenging both technological progress and social sterotypes.    They're not only well-spoken, they're funny and fun.    They have a rich social life as a result.    While I went to my hotel room to answer e-mail and Skype my family, they went out to a hip restaurant with a group of online friends from Philadelphia.    They were all meeting face to face for the first time but had bonded based on mutual support and advocacy.

Since studies have shown that people dealing with a chronic condition like diabetes can become isolated, I think there's a lot to learn from Kerri and Manny. Anyone with a diabetes (or any chronic condition) can enrich their network, although it can take some work at first.

Here are a few of their insights:

The Big Picture: http://www.diabetes1.org/Multimedia/Vlog_Kerri_Sparling_Just_because_you_cant_see_it

On Advocacy:   http://www.diabetes1.org/Multimedia/Vlog_Kerri_Sparling_on_Advocacy_for_Diabetes

On Why People with Type1 and Type 2 Diabetes share common goals: http://www.diabetes1.org/Multimedia/Vlog_Manny_Hernandez_on_Type_I_and_II_Diabetes

Next Post - Great insights from an emerging blog voice (Kerri & Manny, here comes GK...!)

Blog: From the Intern...

From:

IHi all, my name is Dan Weiman and I am an intern here at Body1, primarily working here on diabetes1. You may have seen some of my feature stories already on diabetes, or on the the Body1 stories of the day. I am in my senior year at Emerson College here in Boston, MA with a major in Political Communications and a psychology minor. I have a strong interest in public health and health advocacy and education, which is what led me here to diabetes1.

Diabetes is an ever growing public health issue that, as I'm sure you may know, affects much more than just the on-the-surface problem of regulating blood sugar. Its side effects can be very hard on those with the disease, it can affect one's lifestyle and mood, and, while treatment is becoming more and more effective, there is no cure currently. Furthermore, diabetes is a growing concern world wide because it is starting to effect a higher percentage of people among both Type I and Type II.

As there is not much widespread understanding of the disease amongst the general public, I feel it is critical for diabetics to have an outlet where they can share their experiences with others like them. The communities here are a great opportunity to bring people together and to instill confidence and understanding among those with the disease.

I'll try to use this blog to discuss the latest news in diabetes treatment, or elaborate further on certain articles. Look forward to seeing more of everyone!