SHALEEKA POWELL
EL NUEVO SOL—SALUD
Hilda and Lillian Castellanos at a family event.
(Photo courtesy of the Castellanos family.)
Diabetes is a disease that is characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to use insulin. This is a chronic disease that is prevalent in the Latino community. Latinos are more at risk because of family history, a life style with low physical activity, and a high carbohydrates and sugar diet that leads to obesity.
Lillian Castellanos, 21, a family consumer science major at California State University, Northridge, is struggling with her mother’s disease. In this interview, Lillian discusses how the disease affects her life and the lives of her family members. Hilda Castellanos, Lillian’s mother, a Central American immigrant, who arrived to Los Angeles area in the 80s, now fights diabetes. She has had Type 2 diabetes for a year now.
Tags: American Diabetes Association Chronic Disease Latino healthcare Type 2 diabetes
