``Not only do we hope to make money, but we also hope that people will learn that diabetes is not the worst thing to have happen to them,'' Dillinger said.
It took two years for the certified diabetes educators to develop the program and their company, Diabetes Educators Inc., of Bryn Mawr.
``We as professionals realized we had to do other things in order to get our word out'' about diabetes, said Dillinger, who has the disorder. ``We basically decided there needed to be more than what we could provide in a classroom situation.''
The CD-ROM illustrates how the body uses carbohydrates and insulin. Carbohydrates, found in most foods, break down into glucose. The pancreas produces insulin to turn the glucose into energy. But when a person has diabetes, the pancreas either does not produce insulin or produces insufficient amounts of it, which results in too much glucose in the blood. By counting carbohydrates to plan a meal, people with diabetes can better control the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and make sure their bodies have enough insulin to convert it into energy.
Meals 'n Carbs contains 375 food icons, including many ethnic foods, that the user adds to a plate to create a meal and add up the carbohydrates. If a person tries to go beyond a limit based on his or her profile, the computer sends a message to stop. It is written on a fourth-grade level and has audio, so that children and elderly patients can use it, Yass said.
``I'm not familiar with the program, but it certainly is a great idea and would be a great adjunct to a personal visit with a dietitian,'' said Christine Beebe, president of health care and education with the American Diabetes Association. ``This kind of program may be helpful to a whole lot of people.''
