COMMUNITY JOURNAL

A nurse’s American dream comes true, despite her first employer backing out, this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy

GROWING up, Rina missed her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. in search of greener pastures. Rina believed that being a nurse would be the fastest way for her to be reunited with her parents and other siblings in the U.S. So, immediately after she passed her NCLEX Board Exam in 2005, her parents found a company willing to sponsor Rina for a green card. Unfortunately, there was a retrogression of priority dates, and Rina’s petition could not move forward. In the meantime, she had already found a job as a nurse in Singapore and had to leave her daughter to be raised by her relatives in the Philippines. This situation was difficult because it was a déjà vu of how Rina’s life was growing up when she was separated from her parents, and she did not want this for her child. After six years, the retrogression was lifted, and Rina tried to revive her petition from the facility. Unfortunately, the new management was no longer offering employment and had to withdraw the sponsorship.

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Exam in 2005, a convalescent facility was willing to sponsor Rina to come to the U.S. All went well until there was a retrogression of priority dates. After the retrogression, Rina found out that the facility was under new management and was no longer interested in pushing through with the case, so they withdrew her petition. Fortunately, Rina’s family found another facility who was willing to sponsor her. The family retained Atty. Gurfinkel, who championed Rina’s case, was able to transfer/retain the original 2006 Priority Date of the previous employer’s petition to the new employer’s case. Rina’s American Dream finally came true. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, July 30 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement) passed her

PhiliP S. Chua, md, FaCS, FPCS

THE epidemic of childhood obesity, which obviously parallels the incidence among adults, has contributed to the explosion of metabolic syndrome, the most common cause of major illnesses our society faces today. The word “metabolic” refers to the biochemical processes and physiology governing the body’s normal functions to achieve homeostasis (balanced, healthy state).

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is also called Insulin resistance Syndrome or Syndrome X. This is a cluster of medical risk factors – high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar and cholesterol/ triglyceride levels, and excess body fat around the waist –that increase the likelihood of heart attacks, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. This syndrome, which is usually without symptoms, except for an expanding waistline, might someday overtake smoking as a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases and deaths.

How common is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is very common in the United States. About 35 percent of all adults and 50 percent of those aged 60 and over have this syndrome. The “seeds” for this condition are planted while the fetus is in the womb and continue during childhood, where the children’s DNA are gradually damaged by unhealthy diet, habits, and behavior of the mother and the children themselves, starting from the crib. Children drinking soft drinks, diet or regular, cola or uncola, are 40 percent more prone to develop metabolic syndrome, starting with weight gain and then childhood obesity, later, hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Soft drinks are also toxic to adults as well, with 40 percent risk also, according to the US National Institute of Health.

What are the metabolic risk factors?

Excess body weight, obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol excess are all risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome, besides