December 2000

Scripps Whittier Diabetes Program

Scripps/UCSD/Whittier Diabetes Research Program

Community Diabetes Care Program/Project Dulce – a program in partnership with

Community Health Improvement Partners

Sisters with a Special Bond

New Faces at the Whittier

Diabetes and the Holidays

Hearty White Chi l i

The Whittier Institute for Diabetes,a subsidiary of Scripps, is dedicated to

diabetes research, education and patient carethrough a collaborative program with

the University of California, San Diego.

The Whittier Institute Board of Trustees

Chairman: Maurice R. Taylor IIVice Chairman: Gobind SahneyCorporate Secretary: Jackie SingerTreasurer: Bryce W. RhodesPresident/CEO: John B. Engle

David H. BartramEarl K. BeitzelCharles H. BrandesMartin B. BuserGeorge E. Dailey, III, M.D.Edward W. Holmes, M.D.Vivian M. Leith Robert F. ListJohn MesserschmittBerlyn D. MillerDon W. Mitchell, Esq.Jerrold M. Olefsky, M.D.Margery A. PerryJanet A. Rodgers, Ph.D.Charles E. ScribnerRichard R. Sheridan, Esq.Marilyn B. Tedesco

Honorary TrusteesRichard C. Atkinson, Ph.D.Brian BilbrayWillard P. VanderLaan, M.D.William C. Winter, M.D.

Scripps/UCSD/Whittier DiabetesResearch Program Committee

Scientific Director: Jerrold M. Olefsky, M.D.

Clyde H. Beck, Jr., M.D.George E. Dailey III, M.D.John B. EngleAlberto Hayek, M.D.Kenneth L. Jones, M.D.Stanley A. Mendoza, M.D.George E. Palade, M.D.Margery A. PerryBryce W. RhodesRichard R. Sheridan, Esq.Daniel Steinberg, M.D.Samuel S.C. Yen, M.D.

Whittier Diabetes ProgramPrincipal Investigators

Theodore Ciaraldi, Ph.D.Vincenzo Cirulli, M.D., Ph.D.George E. Dailey III, M.D.Wolfgang Dillmann, M.D.Steve V. Edelman, M.D.Alberto Hayek, M.D.Robert R. Henry, M.D.Yolanta Kruszynska, M.D.Fred Levine, M.D., Ph.D.Jerrold M. Olefsky, M.D.Wulf Palinski, M.D.Athena Philis-Tsimikas, M.D.Henry C. Powell, M.D.Peter D. Reaven, M.D.David Rose, Ph.D.Daniel Steinberg, M.D.Nicholas J.G.Webster, Ph.D.Joseph L. Witztum, M.D.Patricia Wu, M.D.

As the year draws to a close,

now is a good time to consider the

many options for year-end giving. The

holidays are a very special time to give

charitable donations. Here are a few

options you might want to consider:

■ Cash gifts may be deducted from your

federal income tax return up to 50

percent of your adjusted gross income.

■ A gift of long-term appreciated

securities lets you deduct the full

fair market value of your investments

and avoid any tax on the capital gain.

A gift of securities, or any appreciated

property, is deductible up to 30 percent

of your adjusted gross income.

■ You may donate your personal

residence, live there for the rest of

your life, and receive a lifetime fixed

income based on the value of your

home. You will also receive an

immediate income tax deduction for

the contribution.

For more information about

how to advance diabetes care and make

a tax-smart gift, call Roz Hodgins,

Director of Development, at

858.626.5664.

The Benefits of Giving

9894 Genesee AvenueLa Jolla, California 92037www.whittier.org

Non-profit organization U.S. Postage

PAIDpermit No. 1981 San Diego, CA

page threepage two

Donor Profile:Twin Sist ers Support Ea ch Other

Research Findings Lead to New Theory

Being twins, Mollie and Jackie Singer

share a special bond. Another condition

brings them even closer together. You see,

Mollie was diagnosed with juvenile

diabetes, also known as Type1diabetes,

at the age of four. For the past six months

Mollie has successfully worn a MiniMed

Insulin Pump. Prior to the pump, Mollie’s

daily ritual for the last six years included

taking up to six shots of insulin, testing

her blood sugar level an average of ten

times, and then eating and playing accord-

ing to the levels. She no longer takes

injections, but the rest of her disciplined

life remains the same. Not wanting her

sister to go through the disease alone, the

two 11-year-olds have banded together

to take on diabetes. They currently travel

the country with their Mother, teaching

the world about Mollie’s illness.

Not only have they spoken with politi-

cians, doctors and researchers, they have

testified at a Senate Hearing, written a

short book entitled “The Road to the Cure,”

and have formed a support group called

Mollie’s “DAs,” or Diabetic Angels. Even

though the angels don’t have diabetes them-

selves, they use their knowledge to assist in

caring for someone who does or to educate

others, including teachers and parents.

The twins’ mother, also named Jackie,

tells the story of a nine year old girl

whose grandfather went into diabetic

shock at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

The girl was a Diabetic Angel and the

only one in her family who knew what

to do. She saved her grandfather’s life

because she chose to make a difference.

Over the years, as the Singer family

learned more about diabetes research

and admired the work done through the

Whittier, Jackie decided to get more

involved and contributed her time and

public relations skills. She currently serves

as Corporate Secretary on The Whittier

Board of Trustees.

“People, even children, have the power

to do so much,” says Jackie. “Diabetes is

not an individual disease – it affects the

whole family. Just as families support

each other, we all need to support

finding a cure for the 16 million

Americans who currently live with

diabetes.”

Being a child with diabetes, Mollie

has many obstacles to overcome that

other kids her age take for granted. For

instance, when she gets sick, it takes

her much longer to recover. Once, due

to illness, Mollie missed five weeks of

school. Yet, through extra hard work

on her part, she was still able to

maintain a 3.8 grade point average.

“I try to take good care of myself and

manage my diabetes so I can live my

life to the fullest, but I can never take

a vacation from my diabetes,” says

Mollie. “I really hope they find a cure

for diabetes soon. I’m lucky because I

have a special sister, Jackie. She makes

life a lot of fun and makes living with

diabetes easier – together we can

overcome anything.”

When they are not traveling the

country on a tireless mission, Mollie

and Jackie enjoy roller blading,

biking and visiting the beach to

swim and “ride the waves” together.

Dr. Jerrold Olefsky, Scientific

Director of the Scripps/UCSD/Whittier

Diabetes Research Program, along with

his team of researchers know the number

one rule of science – question everything.

Yet, they were still surprised when all of

their scientific tests didn’t support a widely

accepted theory as to how Type 2 diabetes

drugs on the market work within the body.

Currently, there are two types of thiazo-

lidinedione (TZD) insulin-sensitizing drugs

on the market for treating Type 2 diabetes

– Actos and Avandia. These TZDs attempt

to overcome insulin resistance and make

the diabetic’s tissues more able to respond

to the insulin secreted from the pancreas.

A major challenge for the diabetes research

community has been trying to explain

precisely how these drugs work within the

body. A widely accepted belief has been

that the diabetes drugs bind to a specific

protein, called the PPAR gamma receptor,

and this binding stimulates the production

of a variety of genes that aid in overcoming

insulin resistance.

The research team, consisting of Philip

Miles, Yaacov Barak, Weiman He, Ronald

Evans and Jerrold Olefsky, decided to

investigate this theory further. Using the

techniques of mouse genetics, they were

able to manipulate genetic codes of mice

and alter the genes. Eventually, the PPAR

gamma receptor gene was knocked out,

which offered surprising results. The mice

without a PPAR gamma receptor were not

insulin resistant, as was previously hypoth-

esized. Rather, the animals were extremely

sensitive to insulin and were protected from

diabetes. To ensure the results were accurate,

Dr. Olefsky’s group repeated this particular

experiment more than any other procedure

in past research. Yet, the test outcomes

continued to remain the same, and the

researchers finally came to the conclusion

that the accepted theory was inaccurate.

Their evidence showed just the opposite –

diabetes drugs on the market do bind to the

PPAR gamma receptor, but they more

likely work by inhibiting the protein, not

activating it as previously believed. Within

the last few months, this new theory has

been supported by additional experiments,

and outside laboratories have confirmed

the results.

Armed with these new findings, the

research community as well as pharma-

ceutical companies can create more

effective drugs to combat diabetes. In fact,

this will aid in finding drugs that not only

improve insulin resistance, but also prevent

Type 2 diabetes before its onset, which

could then be administered to specific

high-risk populations.

As you may have noticed,The Whittier Diabetes Report has a new

look. We’ve combined The Whittier and

Project Dulce newsletters, increasing our

report to eight pages and expanding our

readership. We hope you like the

changes and we welcome your com-

ments or suggestions. Send email to

hodginsr@whittier.org.

Contents:Donor Profile: Twin Sisters . . . . 2

Research Findings Lead to

a New Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Diabetes Support Groups . . . . . 4

Managing Diabetes During

the Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Whittier Events . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Hearty White Chili . . . . . . . . . 6

New Faces at the Whittier . . . . . 7

The Benefits of Giving . . . . . . . 8

Mission Statement:The Whittier Institute for Diabetes

supports the search to effect a cure for

diabetes. To accomplish this, The Whittier

will provide resources for innovative

research, education and patient care,

and will be a catalyst for collaboration

among other leading organizations

engaged in these endeavors.

Editor: Jodi Bakken

Design: Leslie Gunn, This Gunn for Hire

Twin sisters, Jackie (left) and Mollie Singer.

On the cover, Mollie (left) and Jackie Singer.

Jerrold M. Olefsky, MD is currently

Medical and Scientific Director of the

Scripps/Whittier/UCSD Diabetes

Program, as well as Professor of Medicine

at UCSD and Research Scientist at the

Veterans Medical Research Foundation.

page f ive

Scripps Whittier Diabetes ProgramSupport Groups

La Jolla:The Whittier Institute for Diabetes

9894 Genesee Avenue, 3rd floor Campus of Scripps Memorial

Hospital La Jolla3rd Wednesday of the month

1:30 – 3 pm(858) 626-5659

Chula Vista:Scripps Well Being Chula Vista

555 Broadway, Suite 20292nd Monday of the month

1:30 – 3 pm(858) 626-5659

Chula Vista (Spanish):Scripps Well Being Chula Vista

555 Broadway, Suite 20293rd Friday of the month

9 – 10:30 am(858) 626-5659

Hillcrest:Scripps Mercy Hospital

4077 Fifth Avenue3rd floor, Prenatal Conference Room

2nd Tuesday of the month1:30 – 3 pm

(619) 260-7363

Encinitas:Scripps Well Being Encinitas

270 N. El Camino Real(Vons Shopping Center)

2nd Wednesday of the month1:30 – 3 pm

(858) 792-8837

On-Line:

Diabetes Interviewwww.diabetesinterview.org

Diabetes Self-Managementwww.diabetes-self-mgmt.com

American Diabetes Associationwww.diabetes.org

The holiday season can evoke

mixed feelings for many people. Some

eagerly look forward to the holidays, while

others are less enthusiastic and tend to

feel stressed. Diabetes can cause additional

strain for both the diabetic and their

families. Daily routines may be disrupted

with parties, shopping and holiday events.

Developing a strategy to maintain good

blood sugar control can help handle

diabetes through the holiday season.

Try planning ahead rather than being

reactive to a situation. Do not shop when

hungry, make conscious food choices and

take extra insulin or increase your exercise

if having a special treat. Also, eat a bedtime

snack at the usual dinnertime if planning

a late meal.

Attention to medication is especially

important this time of year. If on insulin,

check insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio to

adequately cover yourself. It might be

necessary to check blood sugar more often.

It’s easy to forget medications during

evening activities. Plan ahead with a self-

reminder or keep extra medication in a

pillbox and carry it along for later use.

Exercise lowers blood sugar and can

greatly help maintain blood sugar

control over the holiday season. Engage

in actives such as dancing, walking,

skating or any other type of exercise

that requires movement. Do not give

up even if you get off track for a few

days. It is never too late to start again.

Traveling across time zones can

disrupt a schedule. Talk to a doctor

or diabetes educator about medication

adjustments. Be sure to carry extra

supplies since they may not be easy to

find, especially when travelling abroad.

Also carry blood glucose monitoring

supplies and medication in carry-on

luggage, purchase a watch that displays

time zones, and always wear a medic

alert identification.

The holiday season can cause feelings

of anger, sadness and depression for

some people. Attending a support group

can help express those feelings while

obtaining support from others.

May peace, hope and joy be yours

this holiday season.

Golfing Fora Great CauseThere’s nothing like a day of bright

sunshine, fun friends and outstanding golf,

(well, pretty good golf anyway). Those

were the main ingredients at the 3rd

Annual Dr. Charles E. Weber Invita-

tional Golf Tournament benefiting The

Whittier Institute for Diabetes. The event

was held at the La Jolla Country Club on

Saturday, October 2, 2000.

Following the tournament, Joe Jessop and

David Gillig presented James Lewis Bowers,

Ph.D. with the Jessop Award for

his many achievements in advanc-

ing the spirit of philanthropy

within the community.

Silent and live auctions also high-

lighted the day’s events. Over

$13,000 was raised in the Fund-a-

Diabetic portion of the auction,

which will benefit the Community

Diabetes Care Program.

All skill levels were welcomed to

participate, and the event raised a

grand total of $80,000 that will go

toward supporting the diabetes

programs at The Whittier. Everyone

agreed it was a great day of golf and

plenty of fun.

Big Turnout forAnnual Open House!The 4th Annual Diabetes Awareness

Open House, hosted by The Whittier

Institute for Diabetes, drew a big crowd

on Saturday, November 11, 2000.

The Open House, held in recognition

of National Diabetes Awareness Month,

featured a variety of displays highlight-

ing new treatments in diabetes care, as

well as free health screenings, exercise

demonstrations, drawings and vendor

displays. Certified educators were on

hand to discuss issues of concern and

dieticians were available to talk about

calorie assessment and menu planning.

Keynote speakers included: Jeffrey

Sandler, M.D. – Diabetes and Research,

Diane Pearson, R.N., C.D.E. – Get Moving,

Get Motivated and Jennifer Torio-Hurley,

Certified Personal Trainer – Exercise Can

Be Fun.

“We like to host this Open House every

year to give the community a chance to

receive valuable diabetes education,”

states John Engle, CEO of The Whittier

Institute for Diabetes. “Thanks to the

help of the many volunteers who dedicated

their time selflessly, this year’s Open

House was more successful than ever.”

Whittier Walking Group: A new group is starting that will travel

the walking track at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. The group will meet every

Wednesday at 12:30 pm in front of The Whittier Institute for Diabetes. For further

information, please call Connie Mehlman at 619.293.3720.

Managing DiabetesDuring the Holidays

Whittier Events

Maire Robacker

is a Certified

Diabetes Educator

with the Scripps

Whittier Diabetes

Program

By Maire Robacker

page four

Principle Sponsor ResMed foursome: Amy

Romaker, Deirdre Steward, Vance Wilson

and Elliott Glick

This hearty and easy to make

chili is perfect for fall parties of all types

or just a great family meal. It is easily

transported for tailgate events or potluck

dinners, and is great to serve for buffet-

style parties as well. It can be made up

ahead of time at your convenience and

stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

Also, leftover chili freezes well for a quick

meal in the future.

Use a heavy saucepan to cook the white

chili. In a lightweight pan the liquid boils

too quickly, even over low heat. If there

is too much liquid left when the chili has

finished cooking, stir and let it stand,

uncovered, until it cools slightly – much

of the liquid will be absorbed. Then reheat

to serve.

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 pound dried Great Northern beans,

picked over, soaked overnight in

water with a cover, and drained

4 cups fat free chicken stock

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

(3 cups)

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green

California chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

3 ounces low-fat Monterey jack cheese,

grated (3/4 cup) optional

1. Combine the beans, stock, 1-1/2 cups

of the onions, garlic, and salt in a large

heavy pot or saucepan and bring to a

boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and

simmer for 2 hours or until the beans

are very tender, adding more stock

if needed.

2. When the beans are tender, add the

remaining 1-1/2 cups of onion, the chilies

and all of the seasonings and mix well.

Continue to cook, covered, for an

additional 30 minutes.

3. To serve, spoon 1 cup of the chili into

individual bowls and top each serving

with 2 tablespoons of Monterey jack

cheese, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Each 1 cup serving contains

approximately:

Calories: 322, Grams of fat: 3,

Cholesterol: 8 mg, Sodium: 479 mg,

Carbohydrates: 51 grams,

Protein: 21 grams, Fiber: 1 gram

Diabetic Exchange:

3-1/2 carbohydrates, 3 protein/meat

and 1 fat

page sevenpage s ix

Jeanne Jones has been involved

with The Whittier Institute for Diabetes

since 1981, when she was named the

first president of “Whittier Friends.”

She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes

in her 30s. After the initial shock wore

off, Jeanne learned to control her diabetes

through an exchange diet and has parlayed

her success into a promising career.

Jeanne has written numerous books

about light cuisine, appeared on national

television programs, and is an interna-

tionally renowned nutrition consultant.

Her syndicated weekly column, “Cook it

Light,” reaches millions of readers.

Jeanne, along with her mother, Kathryn

Fishback, and her sister, Cheryl Harris,

established the Kathryn C. Fishback

Family Foundation. Their foundation

has contributed handsomely to ongoing

research and other projects at The

Whittier Institute.

A New ResearcherDr. Nai-Wen Chi recently relocated

from Boston, where he was an instructor in

medicine at Harvard Medical School and a

visiting scientist at MIT. The UCSD

Research Program is happy to welcome

this newest member of the research team.

Dr. Chi received his M.D. from Taiwan

prior to immigrating to the United States

twelve years ago. While in Boston, he earned

a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard

University and completed his clinical

training in internal medicine and endocrin-

ology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

In his new role, Dr. Chi will focus on

the cause of Type 2 diabetes. “By under-

standing the etiology of diabetes at the

molecular level, we hope to identify novel

targets for anti-diabetic drugs,” he states,

adding that he’s “proud to be a part of

this team in the fight against diabetes.”

Dr. Chi lives in Carmel Valley with his

wife and two sons, ages eight and six. In

their spare time, he likes to take his

family swimming.

New Board MembersCharles (Chuck) Scribnerrecently joined The Whittier Institute

Board of Trustees. Mr. Scribner is retired

from Bank of America and lives in La

Jolla with his wife, Gerry, to whom he

has been married for over 40 years. They

have one adult son, Mark, who lives in

Sun Valley, Idaho.

Diabetes is something that hits partic-

ularly close to home for Scribner. Many

family members have been afflicted with

the disease, including his son and two

sisters, one of whom eventually died as

a result of diabetes.

Scribner became familiar with the

Whittier while on the Scripps Board of

Trustees for seven years, serving a term as

Chairman of the Board. He developed a

closer relationship with staff members

when his son, who was diagnosed with

Type 1 diabetes at the age of 15, wanted

to try the diabetes pump.

Even though Scribner is involved in

many other community programs, he

decided to devote time to serving on the

Whittier Board of Trustees. He is inter-

ested in helping the underserved popula-

tions and moving forward with city and

county programs that support these

members of the community.

David Bartram is also a new

member of the Whittier Board of

Trustees and attended his first meeting

in November.

Mr. Bartram, an Executive Vice

President at US Bank (formerly COO

Bank of Commerce), lives in Poway

with his wife, Tamie, and two young

daughters, Kirstin and Mackenzie, who

was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at

age four. In their spare time, the family

enjoys skiing, golfing, youth soccer and

going to the beach.

Wanting to find out all that he

could about the disease that afflicted

his young daughter, Bartram became

familiar with the Whittier and its role

in the community. He has been involved

with the Whittier for the last three years as

a sponsor of the annual golf tournament,

raising funds through his company.

After meeting others involved, Bartram

decided to take a more active role in

supporting the Whittier mission and

joined the Board of Trustees. He is

particularly interested in supporting

diabetes research in the pursuit of a cure.

New Faces atThe Whittier Institute

Calculated Cooking

by Jeanne Jones

White Chili