Chicago Bears Football Player Roberto Garza Stars in New Bilingual Diabetes Education Program

LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, has joined with America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to produce a series of public service announcements in English and Spanish starring the Chicago Bears' starting lineman Roberto Garza, announced the organizations involved. Garza is receiving a "Heroes with Heart" award at a LULAC annual convention youth awards banquet tonight, July 12, for his efforts.

The announcement of the radio, television and print campaign, initiated by AHIP which published the notice, notes that about ten percent of all Latinos have diabetes, twice the rate of non-Hispanic whites, according to the ADA and other sources. Given the complications that diabetes often involves, LULAC's focus on quality of life issues for Hispanics has brought them into partnership in this educational effort. The organizations involved will be urging media outlets throughout the country to broadcast the "simple, important message."

LULAC, says the AHIP announcement, is "the oldest and largest Hispanic organization in the U.S." The release notes that the organization targets economic, educational, health and civil rights issues for Hispanic Americans, with over 700 councils throughout the country.

The ADA, which has worked with AHIP and Garza on informational campaigns before, sees this as part of the ADA's goal of "educating the public across the country." The ADA has been working on diabetes research and education since 1940, and also uses offices in every region of the country to reach out on a local community basis.

According to the announcement, AHIP represents nearly 1,300 companies providing benefits to more than 200 million Americans. The American Diabetes Association and League of United Latin American Citizens joined AHIP in producing the public service announcements with the theme "Check Your Feet!" since one of the most difficult and common diabetic complications is foot problems, ranging from ulcers and loss of feeling in the feet to toe and foot amputation.

Since prevention is a major part of diabetes treatment, bilingual programs have been reaching out to patients in public health programs, particularly in cities. The public service announcements should also reach out to parts of the Hispanic population which are receiving health care in other ways, or are not receiving necessary health care. Awareness of symptoms of diabetes, though a later sign of the disease, may bring patients in for treatment before it progresses any further.

Roberto Garza, a native of Texas, has been playing for the Chicago Bears only since 2005, but is already using his name recognition to reach out and raise awareness of diabetes on a bilingual basis.

http://www.ahip.org

http://www.LULAC.org

http://www.diabetes.org

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