The Minority Health Film Festivalis the first festival of its kind in the country. The festival features films, community forums, and a fair, all related to health issues impacting racial and ethnic minority communities.
Diabetes is one of the main health issues the festival is highlighting, in part because many minority communities face higher rates of the disease and are more likely to have complications from diabetes.
The documentary, A Touch of Sugar, features the work of chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, who uses her passion for healthy cooking to help a Hispanic woman with type 2 diabetes improve her eating habits. Moreinos Schwartz herself has personal history with diabetes — her grandfather passed away from complications due to the disease.
"My goal is to inspire people to come together in the kitchen and cook together and eat together. Not just one meal for those who have type 2 diabetes and one for those who don’t," Schwartz says.
According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 30 million American adults are living with diabetes today. In the Hispanic population more than 50% of both men and women are affected by the disease.
