Howard Steinberg produces a television program that has all the elements of a typical variety show. There are profiles of famous people, reports on current issues and an attractive host, a former Miss America.
But the independently produced show, which airs weekly as paid programming on CNBC, stands on a single theme. It is all about, and for, diabetics -- and believed to be the only television show built around a specific disease. All of the ads are for diabetes-related products, such as specially formulated food supplements and insulin testing strips.
"Diabetics are not just patients, they are consumers," Steinberg said of the appeal of his show, "dLife -- For Your Diabetes Life," which claims nearly half a million viewers.
Steinberg is among a growing number of diabetics -- including celebrity endorsers, magazine publishers and an investment advisor -- who are finding business opportunities in marketing to others with the chronic disease.
"From a business perspective, diabetes is the perfect disease," said David Kliff, a diabetic and investment analyst who specializes in diabetes-related ventures. Diabetics "consume tons of disposable products, and there is no cure. It is a license to print money."
Actor Wilford Brimley of the 1980s TV show "Our House" has pitched for diabetic products supplier Liberty Medical for so long that he has become a subject of parody by comedians. Blues music icon B.B. King and soul diva Patti LaBelle endorse products for a division of Johnson & Johnson. And pro basketball player Adam Morrison, known for testing his blood sugar on the sidelines, also signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson -- along with the traditional sneaker contract -- after being drafted this year by the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
Entertainer Mother Love has revived her career by promoting herself as a diabetic, and former Miss America Nicole Johnson Baker, the main host of "dLife," has built a marketing machine around her disease.
Healthcare advocates see in the trend a glaring sign that the country is losing its battle against the epidemic, with the most common form, Type 2, closely linked to unhealthful diets and lifestyles.
"Our society and our medical community has basically thrown up their hands and decided it is too hard to get people to lead healthier lives, and it is easier to push drugs," said Michael Jacobsen, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
