"Follow what I say, but don't follow what I do." An advice to be derided. In fact, the best reply of the advisee to the advisor is to make him the object of ridicule, to use a strong term, because he is not at all qualified to give counsel. Take my departed husband Rudy who didn't want me to follow his eating habits and inactivity. Follow his way of the stomach, nay taste buds, and my heart, liver, and kidney will malfunction like they did in his case — sending him to early death.

On second thought, why not do like he did: gorge on fats and sweets that would hasten my crossing the Great Divide; then we'll be together till eternity, forever and ever. No, a big resounding no. Rudy said I still have many more years before me, so many things to accomplish as yet. He used to tell me to go on with my own health habits to be able to reach 80 or 90. Well, ambitious me aim for 100. Cheers! Cheer me on! As for Rudy, he envisioned for himself a short life span after undergoing a triple heart bypass. So, "let me be," he said, with the lechon and such. Binge. Enjoy. Splurge. Eat like there's no tomorrow. At 76, Rudy left so many things undone in the struggle for human rights and social justice. What a waste. Sayang na saying talaga!

Because we opt to be different healthwise, i.e., follow the path to good health, I and my daughter Rose listened closely to Dr. Mark Hyman speak on public TV how nutrition and exercise maintain well-being and beat diseases. Dr. Hyman is the chairman of the Institute of Functional Medicine, and the founder and medical director of the UltraWellness Center. His book, The BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION, from which I'm going to quote heavily, may just save many of us from "diabesity," the comprehensive term Dr. Hyman uses to describe the range from pre-diabetes to full blown diabetes.

Immediately, five questions confront the reader: (1) Are you overweight? (2) Has your doctor told you your blood sugar is a little high? (3) Do you crave sugar and refined carbohydrates? (4) Do you have high blood pressure? (5) Do you have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, or obesity? If you answered yes to any of the foregoing questions, you need The Blood Sugar Solution.

One of the many testimonials in praise of Dr. Hyman's book comes from a heart bypass survivor, Pres. Bill Clinton. He has made drastic changes in his own diet and exercise routine as inspired by Dr. Hyman. The former US President is aware how "the rise of obesity and diabetes has emerged as a crisis that threatens our families, the global economy, and the success of our next generation."

Troubling data enumerated by Dr. Hyman show that diabetes is widespread in the young:

1. One in three children is overweight in America.

2. Childhood obesity has tripled from 1980 to 2010.

3. There are now more than 2 million morbidly obese children above the 99th percentile in weight.

4. In New York City, 40 percent of the children are overweight or obese.

5. One in three children born today will have diabetes in their lifetime.

6. Childhood obesity will have more impact on the life expectancy of children than all childhood cancers combined.

The above could be the reason for the book's dedication as worded: For the first generation of children in history that will live sicker and die younger than their parents. For their sakes and ours may we all work together to take back our health.

Diabetes has been called names: the "silent killer," the "hidden epidemic," the "modern plague." The disease earned for America the appellate, the United States of Diabetes. The forecast is that the number of diabetics will increase from 1 to 10 Americans today to 1 in 3 by the middle of this century.

One might think that diabetes is common only in the First World or affluent societies. Far from it. It is a global problem, just as widespread in other parts of the world. Estimates in 2007 placed the number of diabetics at 240 million worldwide to increase to 380 million by the year 2030, said to be 10 times the number of people affected by the dreaded HIV/AIDS. If we continue to ignore the"silent killer," the statistics will happen as predicted. (Next week: Take back our health)* Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it