It is pretty much of an impossibility for you to be reading this sentence and not know The Jonas Brothers. The three brothers from Wyckoff, NJ have quickly become America’s, and the world’s, new teen idols. You can learn about them in everything from The New York Times to Disney Channel, and they don’t need a small town newspaper to promote their skyrocketing careers.
But the fame of one Jonas brother, Nick, is helping to bring attention to a serious disease that needs the help of people like him. In a courageous and articulate manner, Nick Jonas announced that he has Type 1 Diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes.
The National Center for Chronic Disease notes the that there have been reported increases in Type 1 diabetes in European studies, but that there are no numbers available for American Youth. The numbers coming out of Britain and Australia are disturbing. In Britain, a study found that cases of type 1 diabetes among under-five year olds increased five fold between 1985 and 2004, with one in 1,000 now affected by the disease. The increase among under-fives was accompanied by a doubling of cases among children under fifteen years old. All these children need insulin shots a few times a day, every day.
Australia conducted a study between 2000 and 2006 for children 14 and under, and their numbers indicate the disease has grown from 19 children per 100,000 children in 2000 to 23 per 100,000 in 2006; and is estimated to continue growing at the rate of three percent a year. The dramatic increases lead researches to believe that environmental factors, and not genetics alone, are playing a part in the increase.
Surveys that seek to gauge people’s awareness of the severity of various health problems often rank diabetes low on the scale. There is a general belief that diabetes can be controlled through diet and nobody ever dies from diabetes. Diabetes, of either type, is not a minor health problem; it is the leading cause of blindness, amputations and kidney failure, and it increases the risk for a heart attacks and strokes. Also, Type1 Diabetes cannot be controlled by diet, but requires medical intervention immediately to help mitigate the damage done to the body. Should a person with Type1 Diabetes decide to “take a vacation” from the daily routine of blood testing -“clocking in”-and insulin intake, it could very well lead to permanent damage, or a permanent vacation–death.
The U.S. Senate voted recently to extend the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research at the National Institutes of Health which will keep the program funded till 2011. The University of South Florida recently received multi-million dollar grant to research how to arrest the progression of Type1, and they continue working on a project funded last year that aims to identify the environmental triggers. There have been many studies done that have been instrumental in helping people live healthier lives and prevent the onset of Type2 diabetes, but Type1 remains very much a mystery. The University of Pittsburgh has had success in preventing and reversing the effects Type1 has on the pancreatic production of insulin in mice. They are now prepared to begin human trials which should begin very soon. Continued research is needed to both find a cure and find the cause.
Like many diseases, genetics is an important factor; but as the nation learned with asbestos, environmental factors play an equal part in a person developing a disease. There have been suggestions that vaccines may be a cause for the increase in Type1, but here has been no thorough research to confirm this one way or another. The dramatic increase in Type2 diabetes which effects a significantly larger portion of the population has tended to overshadow the growing rate of Type1, and hopefully the celebrity status of Nick Jonas will help bring attention to a growing worldwide problem.
Locally, organizations like The Women’s Club of Franklin Lakes, are working on a grassroots level to help raise funds and promote public awareness. They will be holding a Fundraising Luncheon at the Indian Hills Club with one of the beneficiaries being to support work on Type1 diabetes. Nick Jonas and his brothers have also started the Change for the Children Foundation which donates to several charities aimed at helping youth face adversity. They specifically encourage their young fan base to get involved and make a difference.
The efforts of native son Nick Jonas can be viewed in the videos below. The first video is Nick’s first public announcement that he has Type1 Diabetes; it’s an impressive display of personal courage and mature articulation that can cross generations. The second video contains a song written by Nick after being diagnosed. It’s an intimate song, and assumingly difficult for him to perform for audiences not accustomed to sitting still for very long. This version shows only the lyrics to help readers focus on the song since Nick’s excitable fan base tends to be rather vocal in their appreciation.