Mei Hsien Wang immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in her

Mei Hsien Wang immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in her fifties. Coming to a new country brought different lifestyle and food choices for her.

“In China, when [I was young] I was very careful with food,” said diabetes patient, Mei Hsien Wang.

And while Wang tried for the most part to continue healthy eating habits in New York, she was still diagnosed with diabetes when she was 84, five years ago.

“The nurse said my blood sugar is very high. [It] scared me,” said Wang.

It has become a common diagnosis in the Asian community, affecting ten percent of the population, even impacting those with what is considered “normal” body weight. A 2009 report by the City Health Department found that diabetes has increased most rapidly among Asians.

“Before the population is the elderly, but recently, recent years the patient group is getting more younger,” said Li Chen, VNSNY CHOICE Nurse.

Studies show the diabetes pattern among Asian Americans has little to do with socio-economic status- as with other ethics groups. Li Chen, a Nurse Consultant with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, said poor diet and little exercise are the main factors.

“The diet change, because you know in China we eat more vegetables and more fruit than red meat….When we move here, all the cheese and milk and everything changes,” said Chen.

Nurse Chen said the key to a healthier lifestyle for most Asians living in America, could be found simply by looking to their roots.

“I eat very simple….My good friend said you are a berry lady, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry,” said Wang.

Mrs. Wang also makes healthy snacks, like whole wheat bread and honey, and she has cut red meats and pork out of her diet. Now, her blood sugar levels are healthy and she doesn’t need insulin shots.

“Blood pressure is very good,” said Chen.

Wang said she hopes to pass on her healthy habits to her children and grandchildren, which includes Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng; so they won’t have to shoulder the burden of diabetes.

“Vegetables and fruit, always keep happy,” said Wang.

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