For 14 years, Glenda Blake has cooked at Barbour County's Good Samaritan nursing home. "I figured I'd be diabetic because most everyone in my family is, but I've found I have some control over that." Last fall, she "lucked into" sessions with Jill Weingart, one of the state's too-few health counselors.

"I take care of the residents" at the Good Samaritan home. "They're like family to me," Glenda Blake said. When she's not cooking, she often stands to one side, to see if she spots someone "who's not eating or looks like their day's not been so great."

Glenda Blake meets with Jill Weingart at the Belington Clinic for information about diabetes, advice about adjusting her lifestyle and encouragement to keep plugging.

Twenty-eight pounds lighter, Glenda Blake says the "My Plate" system Weingart told her about has really helped. "It's something I can follow: One part meat, one part white stuff, two parts vegetables and fruits."