Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Parker-Pope, Tara. “Diabetes Health Involves More Than Just Blood Sugar Levels, Doctors Say.” New York Times. 8 Feb. 2008.

This article discusses startling findings in a recent study done by the American Diabetes. The study showed that an intensive program to lower blood sugar actually increased risk of death. This is startling because it seems to starkly clash with the accepted wisdom that people with diabetes should do everything possible to get their blood sugar down to normal. Although the techniques used were far more intense and the patients in the study were typically far sicker than many people with diabetes today these findings seem to baffle most who read them. After the release of this study most doctors are likely to reconsider their emphasis on lowering blood sugar at all costs, because it is becoming clear that other factors influence the overall health of patients with diabetes. This story discusses new findings in the world of diabetes that a journalist would need to know in order to write a successful news story.


Barrett, Jennifer. “The Price of Childhood Obesity.” Newsweek Magazine. 5 Dec. 2007.

This story is about the obesity epidemic in today’s American youth. Although Type 2 diabetes is commonly thought to only occur in older adults, it is now starting to become an issue with obese children. Jennifer says “The problem is that kids are living in such an unhealthy environment wherever they go.” She explains that cities have been invaded by junk food, and opportunities for safe, physically active recreation continue to diminish. Jennifer also discusses the risk of obese children developing diseases such as coronary heart disease and others. This story would be important to a journalist because it shows that Type 2 diabetes should not only be listed as a disease that affects older people.


Reinburg, Steven. “Lifestyle Changes Can Keep Diabetes at Bay for 14 Years.” The Washington Post. 23 May 2008.

A study done by a branch in the Division of Diabetes Translation at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is showing that a strict diet and exercise program, for people at high risk for developing diabetes, can actually delay the development of diabetes for 14 years. Trials throughout the world have shown that lifestyle changes in diet and exercise can reduce cases of diabetes in people with high blood sugar levels. However, whether these gains remain over an extended period isn't clear to researchers of this study. Edward Gregg, branch chief in the Division of Diabetes Translation, and his team found that lifestyle interventions reduced the incidence of diabetes by 51 percent over a six year program. This article is useful to a journalist because it shows how important diet and exercise need to be stressed when writing a story about diabetes.