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Staff photo by Jim Witmer
Raschelle Swindle shops for produce at the Kroger store Feb. 2 in Englewood. When 33-year-old Swindle heard that the Oprah show was looking for people affected by diabetes, she wrote to them about her church sisters and her concern about their eating habits. Oprah was touched by her e-mail and ended up coming to Dayton to film at the church.
'Oprah' appearance could be lifesaver for local church group members
Mt. Zion church member prompted their appearance on Diabetes Boot Camp.
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By Meredith Moss,
Staff Writer
Updated 10:41 PM Tuesday, February 2, 2010
DAYTON — For the women of Dayton’s Mt. Zion Church of God Holiness, a group trip to Chicago last month to appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” could be a lifesaver.
“The experience was a great wake-up call,” said Nell Jean Starks, president of the church auxiliary. At age 59, the Trotwood woman has been diagnosed as diabetic, as have half the adults in her church, she said. “There were some eye-opening things to let me know what I needed to do for myself, my family and my church family.”
On Jan. 10, shortly after 33-year-old Raschelle Swindle of Englewood responded to an online solicitation about loved ones with diabetes, an “Oprah Winfrey Show” producer and crew came to Dayton to capture a typical Sunday at Mt. Zion, which included eating plenty of sugar- and fat-laden food prepared in the church kitchen.
Swindle, whose mother died prematurely of diabetes, was worried about her church sisters who take care of others, but neglect themselves.
“We are slowly killing ourselves and we need change,” Swindle told Winfrey in her e-mail.
Celebrity physician and diet expert Dr. Ian Smith also showed up at Mt. Zion.
Known for his “50 Million Pound Challenge,” Smith warned about the dangers of diabetes, then invited each member of the group to have her blood sugar checked in preparation for a visit to “Oprah” two days later.
The women juggled work schedules, arranged for baby sitters and climbed aboard a motor coach for the trip to Chicago.
Early the next morning, Jan. 13, the women attended Diabetes Boot Camp with Winfrey’s personal trainer, Bob Greene. On Thursday, Jan. 14, the women — who range in age from 19 to 80 — joined the talk show’s audience and heard Swindle’s original e-mail read aloud.
“They showed a picture of my mom,” Swindle said. Experts on the program included Dr. Mehmet Oz, Greene and chef Art Smith, who supervised Dayton’s community Thanksgiving dinner this year. He has successfully lost 85 pounds and is winning his battle with diabetes. After the show, the women presented Winfrey with a hat.
At Mt. Zion last week, the women gathered to celebrate their upcoming television debut and new lifestyle. The celebration did not include cake and ice cream.
“In the past, we would have had fried chicken, starchy breads, cakes,” said Swindle who has lost eight pounds since the taping.
Starks has purchased free weights for use at home. “I’m ready to get into this thing,” said the auxiliary president.
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