After a season of disappointment in weight loss reality TV shows, where the tactics took precedence over health, it is refreshing to see someone with a worldwide audience willing to talk about diabetes health issues.

Not that ABC or NBC should gear themselves to meet my expectations, but when the real issue of obesity is not whether a person can lose it, but rather all of the collateral health issues that can happen if they don’t, the mega voices to the world have missed the mark and a golden opportunity.

On the other hand, USA Today has started a 4 days series of articles on several aspects of the diabetes epidemic that is sweeping our country and the world.

USA kicked off their effort with articles on diet and the research into treatment of type 1 diabetes through islet transplantation. “Islets are small organs in the pancreas that contain several types of cells, such as those that produce insulin. A recent study showed that islet transplants can potentially reduce or eliminate the need for insulin injections in diabetes patients and restore the ability of patients to sense low blood sugar levels in 95% of cases.”

Bottom line. While I often go on about diabetes and life insurance, the real need in this issue is for the big voices to get involved and raise public awareness. There is so much going on today in the study of diabetes and treatment, prevention and potential cures, that someone with a much larger megaphone than mine needs to shake things up.