PCOS Advocacy
Not every person is born a natural advocate...and that's ok! However, you can learn more about being an advocate for PCOS awareness. This page is a great resource to guide you in your journey toward successful PCOS advocacy!What is Advocacy?
Many societal issues, both medical and non-medical, have strong ties to advocacy. The one common tie is what advocacy represents. According to the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Prevention Resources, advocacy includes devising strategies, taking action, and proposing solutions to influence decision-making at various levels of government, to create positive change for people. Others define it as protecting rights (Washington Protection and Advocacy System), removing barriers, or to enhance others. The United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C., has a fairly comprehensive definition of advocacy that I think works for the needs of PCOS advocates everywhere:
Advocacy is an action taken by individuals, groups, or organizations to defend, support, protect, or enhance others. Generally, advocacy is standing with or standing for a person or group that is disadvantaged or denied justice in society. In the effort to bring about justice, advocacy may include education, affecting public policy, joining coalitions, and participating in nonviolent direct actions. Effective advocacy enables and supports individuals and groups working to correct the injustices or abuses to which they are subjected.Adapted from the website of the Latin American Working Group.
Are You A Low-Carb Diet Success? You Can Be In A New Dana Carpender Book
I have a very exciting opportunity to share with you about a brand new book proposal that our friend and fellow low-carb champion Dana Carpender is working on. She's on a tight deadline here that requires her to have a proposal finished and ready to turn in to the publisher on Monday morning, so only those who are serious about this need to apply.
Because of the massive media attention to the new JAMA study out of Stanford this week, Dana believes the time is right to do a book about those of us who have been successful livin' la vida low-carb. As a result, she wants to interview anyone who has lost on a low-carb program and kept the weight off for at least two years. Is that you? If so, then answer these questions:
To what do you attribute your success? Was it support from friends? Family? Online support? Have you learned to cook a wide variety of low carbohydrate meals? Planning ahead? Feeling a lot better? What do you consider to be the two or three most crucial components in your low carb success?
In addition to those who have been highly successful, Dana is also wanting people who have struggled and gained back all of the weight they previously lost on the diet. If that's you, then answer these questions:
What were your biggest stumbling blocks? Lack of support, or downright sabotage? Naysaying from your doctor? Boredom with the food? Emotional carb cravings? Discouragement with a plateau? Budget and time constraints? Impulsive eating when junk appears in front of you?
Dana would like to hear from you ASAP and may be contacting you for further details about your story if she thinks it is what she needs. If you give her permission to get in touch with you and quite possibly include YOUR story in this new book, then simply e-mail her your answers to the questions about being a low-carb success or failure at voiceofthepeople@holdthetoast.com.
Here's what Dana had to say about this exciting project:
"If we're going to help people make this a permanent lifestyle change, we have to first really understand not just how you and I do it, but the secrets of as many successful low carbers as possible. And we need to know why the people who have gained their weight back fell by the wayside after initial success."
What an opportunity to have your story told by one of the best writers I know. And she's livin' la vida low-carb, too! :)
Once again, e-mail your story to Dana Carpender NO LATER THAN NOON ON SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2007 at voiceofthepeople@holdthetoast.com.
What's Ashley Tabeling Up To?
One of the most vocal proponents for polycystic ovarian syndrome awareness has to be Ashley Tabeling. Last October, her segment about PCOS aired on Discovery Health Channel's "Mystery Diagnosis." Since then, it's seen many repeats. An article Ashley wrote about PCOS for "Women's World" magazine also debuted in October 2005.
Currently, this busy advocate for PCOS awareness is working with Drexel Centers for Women's Health's PCOS Center to do a TV segment for a show called "10!" to air sometime this spring. "My main goal is to get the word out about PCOS," Ashley said, "and my main focus is getting not only my story but the stories of others into the mainstream media." Within the next year, Ashley reports, she plans to create "Walk the Walk for PCOS," a major campaign, rally and walk to raise awareness for women and girls living with PCOS. She plans to kick off the first walk in or around Philadelphia. (Updated 4/16/2006)