Diabetes is a big issue in America, affecting about 16 million people. The Women’s Center brought in a presenter yesterday to talk about the effects diabetes has on women and the prevention of it.

The Women’s Center sponsors a Brown Bag Luncheon every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. with an informal presentation on people with substantial research or a profession in which they can share their insight on issues that affect women.

“Women ‘ Diabetes” was set up by Evette Ngandu, graduate assistant at the Women’s Center. She called in the Wood County Hospital Diabetes Education Unit where Marilyn Fearnside presented a Powerpoint presentation on diabetes and women.

“It was very insightful. Both women and men came to the luncheon,” Ngandu said.

Fearnside talked about how the disease differs with women and men. Pregnancy in itself carries risks, as far as diabetes is concerned. The percentile is not huge but it is there, making it something that should be talked about.

“The people who come to the luncheons are interested or want to share their story to get help,” Ngandu said. “Some of the women who attended had diabetes, and they talked about their personal life issues that were affected by the diabetes.”

Diabetes is a life-long disease of high blood sugar caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin or both. Fearnside’s presentation discussed this, along with prevention strategies.

There are, though, 3 major types of diabetes. Type I is the chronic disease where the pancreas produces too little insulin.

There is no known cure for this type, and it can occur at any age, usually before age 30. The causes are also not known, but may be due to family history or contracted viruses.

Type II diabetes is more common. It is the chronic disease when the body’s insulin does not work effectively. Of the people who suffer from this, about 75 to 80 percent are obese, one risk factor. Other risk factors include race or ethnicity. People of Native American, African American and Hispanic ethnicities are more at risk. Being over the age of 45 and hypertension are also risk factors.

Gestational diabetes is the third type. This is a carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity that starts, or is first recognized during pregnancy. In many cases, though, the blood glucose levels of the pregnant woman return to normal after delivery of the baby. According to the Health Encyclopedia, it is recommended that all pregnant women be screened for Gestational diabetes during the 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Fearnside also discussed prevention. One way of preventing Type II diabetes is to maintain an ideal weight. For Type I, there is no known prevention.

Some of the symptoms that Fearnside talked about, and that were in the Health Encyclopedia are: increased thirst, urination and appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, absent menstruation, blurred vision and the frequency and/or slow healing of infections.

The Women’s Center tries to bring in speakers that deal with women’s issues as much as possible. The diabetes talk was just one of many presentations that help women, and men alike, understand their bodies.

Two other series that Ngandu is in charge of for the Women’s Center are the Professional Development Series and the Women’s Research Network. The Professional Development Series provides avenues to women, and men, of academic research. They talk about the different mistakes not to make, to be marketable and how to publish works.

The Women’s Research Network is held twice monthly. It is a collaboration of three researchers (women and men) that talk about women’s issues. This January, four presenters will talk about women and art, from lesbian stand up comedy to hip hop and dance. The Women’s Center tries to have a different theme for each month.

The Center also brings in international speakers.

“They talk about social issues that many women, and men, can relate to here,” Ngandu said.

All sessions are free and open to anyone who wants to attend. They are set on a woman’s focus, but men can’t be separated since they can affect family issues.