{"id":18745,"date":"2011-08-05T09:22:31","date_gmt":"2011-08-05T13:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=18745"},"modified":"2015-12-27T15:47:06","modified_gmt":"2015-12-27T20:47:06","slug":"urge-president-obama-to-attend-septembers-un-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=18745","title":{"rendered":"Urge President Obama to Attend September’s UN Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Less than two months from now — September 19-20 — heads of government will convene at the first-ever United Nations High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases<\/a> (NCDs). Diabetes is one of four non-communicable diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease are the other three) that threaten the world’s health, prosperity, economic development and progress — yes, including that of the U.S.<\/p>\n

World leaders will assess the costs of NCDs both to our health and global economy — and commit to actions to contain both. According to the International Diabetes Federation<\/a> (IDF) — a global advocacy organization for diabetes care, prevention and a cure — cost-effective solutions exist now. And now<\/em> is the time political leadership must champion them. Now, or it will be too late. President Obama has not yet decided whether to attend the Summit.<\/p>\n

This is a potential turning point for diabetes — and for those who live with it. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to halt diabetes: a disease that is killing and disabling millions of people here at home and around the world, impoverishing millions of families and undermining economic progress. This is an opportunity to prevent diabetes’ continued rise, and to improve care, treatment, education and resources for you and your family, people far and wide, rich and poor.<\/p>\n

First lady Michele Obama is also being lobbied as keynote speaker for the Summit. Through her mission to eradicate childhood obesity<\/a> she knows well the coming tsunami of children getting type 2 diabetes, once an old person’s disease. When children get type 2 diabetes, they also get cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and may need kidney dialysis decades earlier, in their 40s, having lived with diabetes 25 or 30 years. Your children, our children, the world’s children.<\/p>\n

Now at this moment in history, as the world comes together to turn the tide of diabetes and fight for its prevention and control — and that of other non communicable diseases — the Obamas’ presence signals to Heads of State around the world that we cannot allow these diseases to continue to escalate and threaten our individual and global economic health.<\/p>\n

The IDF has developed a postcard campaign — “O is for Outrage” — outrage that every day people die unnecessarily of diabetes, that the world’s poor cannot get life-sustaining medicine, that diabetes care everywhere is not getting the resources and attention it needs — and they are asking for your help to persuade President Obama to attend the UN Summit.<\/p>\n

Please Send a Postcard To President Obama<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Click here and your postcard will be sent to the White House on August 31. In 30 seconds you may change history for yourself, your family and millions around the world. As IDF CEO Ann Keeling says, “We do not want the world to sleepwalk into a sick future that is avoidable.”<\/p>\n

Why you should care<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

According to statistics right now you or someone you know has diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh<\/a> leading cause of death in the U.S. and more people die of diabetes-related causes, like heart attacks and stroke, than breast cancer and HIV\/AIDs combined. As a diabetes educator said to me, “Soon you will not be able to get into the hospital; all the beds will be taken up by people with diabetes.”<\/p>\n

The statistics about the diabetes epidemic below are sobering.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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