Fellow CDO Blogger Gabby was telling me during the dinner break from Toral’s presentation (see previous post) that I should get a second serving for the baby in my belly that had been gleefully squirming after having ingested a prohibitive dose of carbohydrates and sugar. I told him I couldn’t because a second serving of sugary goodness would push my already high sugar levels into orbit, earning for my endocrinologist an extra Php250.
Gabby’s seatmate, Mike, quipped that he met a guy from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) once. Mike opined that it seems that the Philippines is in the middle of a diabetes epidemic and proceeded to ask Mr. CDC what will be done about it. Mr. CDC answered (perhaps jokingly?) that they were going to let Filipino diabetics just die. Anyway, the country does have a population problem.
Gasp!?
The truth is that Mr. CDC’s revelation wasn’t really that shocking. It was amusing to say the least. My mother-in-law died of the complications of diabetes and it wasn’t because the CDC diabolically plotted to push her to her grave. She honestly went the way she wanted to, with a liter of coke in one hand and a platter of steaming pork and rice on the other.
Five years of living with a real Filipino family has taught me that Filipinos love booze and grub more than our impoverished existence. If you have to be in the muck and mire of a difficult reality, why not enjoy it the best way you can? Try to deprive us of simple sugars and all hell will break loose.
That is a tough dilemma. When you have people struggling to get by, how do you convince them to give up one of their few pleasures.
This is so true anne. I guess food really is all we have to fully enjoy
It's a sad truth!!! *sigh* I'm prone to diabetes than high blood pressure. Maputlan jud kog ti-il! hahaha!
God forbid Carmz! I also have high sugar. hehehe. but let's fight this illness. we can do it. 🙂