Featuring both English and Spanish versions, this simply-animated medical program for general audiences offers a basic overview of diabetes, explaining the differences between Type I (usually appearing in children or adolescents) and Type II (adult onset). Cartoon host Dr. Michelle Taylor presents sobering statistics (the World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2030 over 300 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with diabetes) before turning to an animated model of the human body to explain how the carbohydrates in our food are broken down into glucose sugar, the body's main energy source, which is in turn regulated by insulin secreted by the pancreas. In people with diabetes, the insulin mechanism is impaired or non-functioning, leading to high blood sugar levels that—if not controlled—can ultimately result in damage to the body's circulatory, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The program concludes with health maintenance suggestions for those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, including frequent medical checkups, smart diet choices, plentiful exercise, blood sugar monitoring, and medication where needed. Although some will find the rudimentary animation off-putting in addressing a serious health issue, this bilingual production offers a solid overview of the subject. [Note: also newly available in the Learning and Understanding series are Dyslipidemia and Hypertension.] Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Learning and Understanding: Diabetes
(2008) 15 min. DVD: $17.50. Animed Health. PPR. Volume 24, Issue 2
Learning and Understanding: Diabetes
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