Latino community sees rise in type II diabetes; Latinos more than twice as likely as Caucasians to develop diabetes

• For beginners, she said, they're going to start exercising and watching what they eat: No junk food, very little sugar and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Given recent studies documenting the increase in obesity among children, particularly in rural cities like Watsonville, Castorena has reason to fret; it's no secret that obesity and diabetes go hand in hand.
• "I was 23 when I found out," said the 30-year-old Castorena, who checks her blood-sugar counts at least three times a day.
• "And a few weeks ago, we found out my father had it.
• He got the bad news at the Diabetes Health Center, a nonprofit group that belongs to the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust.
• It's a disease that's prevalent in the Pajaro Valley, because Latinos are twice as likely to get the disease than their Caucasian counterparts, said Gonzalo Coronado, director for the center.
• For example, Castorena's father, Victor Sanchez, 50, was put on a fairly strict diet after he found out.
• And with the right medication, Sanchez, a farmworker, will be able to rein in his skyrocketing blood-sugar count.
• In Santa Cruz County there are an estimated 18,000 people living with diabetes and in the tri-county region of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties, approximately 45,000 people.
• However, as Coronado points out, when managed effectively, complications can be reduced, if not eliminated.
• And the center tries to do just that, with only a small staff: Coronado, a registered nurse, a registered dietitian, an administrative assistant and a consulting physician.
• The nurse is certified to teach every aspect of diabetes self- management; the registered dietitian helps create a plan that incorporates the foods you like to eat into a healthy, balanced diet; the physician tends to the care of the diabetic and sees to it that the medications are adjusted properly.