roads in jamestown that all look like rivers. >> we've lost bridges. >> there's this bridge that goes over the river that's going up to estes and the water right now is going over the bridge and under at the same time. >> we've lost homes, cars. >> i got a pretty good mud slide but missed the house. >> and there is more rain on the way. that will do it for me, the "cnn newsroom" continues. more live coverage at the top of the hour. much more of my interview with bill cosby after sanjay gupta. welcome to "sg md." i'm just back from a week covering the crisis in syria and i got to tell you inside those refugee camps there nothing makes sense. i want to introduce you to a family today whose lives may not have been that different from your own. more on that in just a bit. also sherri shepherd, the funny co-host of "the view" will stop by to talk about something that's serious for her, how to lose weight and beat diabetes even if you don't have it.

but first, in just a few weeks uninsured americans are going to have the chance to sign up for coverage through the new health care markets, but opponents of the law already stretching up efforts to sabotage obama care. >> let me tell you what we're doing. everything in our power to be an obstructionist. >> that's ralph hudgens, he's a republican and he's also georgia's insurance commissioner. he's bragging publicly about his state's efforts to undermine obama care. and he's not alone. >> the states are very wise to choose not to cooperate in any way because -- >> that's twyla braise president for the citizens council for health freedom, she's voicing her opposition with radio ads like this. >> we have a legal right to refuse to government exchange coverage. >> they have billboards, bus shelter posters and flyers that are passed out on college campuses, all of it part of a

campaign to convince americans especially young adults not to sign up for health care exchanges when they become available october 1st. >> if you do not sign up for them, you do not bring money into them, it does not fund the cost of operating them and therefore they are more likely to fail. >> another group freedom works is telling people to burn mock obama care draft cards. they say younger americans will pay for coverage they don't need. >> they're typically healthier and they typically don't go to the doctor as much but they're going to be paying for the system that will cover health care for all americans. >> in states with some of the highest uninsured rates in the country, texas, florida, georgia, public officials have declined to set up state huh rin exchanges opting letting the federal government to set up the exchanges, not deterred, the get covered america campaign is going door to door urging the same young people to sign up. >> it's not a conversation about politics. it's a conversation about the new opportunities for health

insurance that meets their needs and meets their budget and we're seeing incredible interest in the conversations we're having across the country. >> and so we're going to have a conversation about this right now. so, joining me from washington is my good friend, chief national correspondent john king. thanks for joining us, john. look, you know, i want to make clear, and you've been following this argument for a long time. we're not vilifying people who are not against obama care. you've been looking at these arguments yourself. when you hear their arguments, do they have a point? >> well, they say they have a point, sanjay, in the sense that, look, there's a lot of poll tibitics involved and some the criticism is the president is a democrat and a lot of the critics are republicans. but some is on principle, there's a lot of organizations involved who think this is too much of an overreach by the federal government. they think washington shouldn't be involved. they think state by state or community by community, however, they have a point and some of them are standing on what they believe to be a proud principle. the issue is at what point do you have to acknowledge in

politics you have lost? >> you know, john, if you look at the history of some of this, like the individual mandate, for example, and i worked at the clinton white house in the late '90s, but before that even, the individual mandate was something that came about from primarily right-winged organizations. they were the ones who wanted it. and now these are some of the same people who are rallying against it, isn't that right? >> you're exactly right. and that's a reflection of, look, politics change with the times and it was the heritage foundation and other conservative groups back in the day when they thought there were going to be major changes with health care. we see it when the nra thinks there are major changes in gun control, it was for background checks at one point, now it isn't. conservatives were once for an individual mandate believing it if you did it on an individual basis, at least you empower the individual, the individual was making the decisions as part of the bigger process. but when the politics changed and they thought they could beat, quote-unquote, a national health care plan or a washington dictated health care plan, never mind, we're not for that anymore. welcome to politics.

>> you know this better than anybody. let's talk about the practical part as uf mentiyou mentioned. some say they are not going to help their constituents sign up, they'll be obstructionists, is that taking it too far? >> it's dangerous. each member of congress has to make their own decision and each member of congress is judged by the 500,000 or so people that live in their congressional district. if you are a safe republican, jason chaffetz, a lot don't face much opposition or if they did, what they would worry about is a primary challenge from the right. they can talk like that. but here's the challenge. you represent your entire district. there will be people calling who may even be against the health care law, but it's the reality and it's the law of the land, and they have a question, where do i get the paperwork for this? i'm having a problem with this agency. i don't understand this. that's a congressman's job. that's a congressman's job. to say, you know, no, we're not going to answer that question because we don't like that law, that's risky. >> we just heard in that piece a

lot of the people who are against obama care. i'm sure the political pundits are also listening to you to what you have to say. if you were guiding them, hhs or the white house, what would you tell them in order to turn the message around? >> i tend to try not to give advice to the politicians, but i will tell you this from your travels and poll numbers people are confused about this, and i'm sure you get questions about this, how is it going to affect me, when is it going to affect me. there are a lot of people who think you have to do, quote-unquote, comprehensive or you can't pass a bill. if you could do it one piece at a time, it would probably be easier for people to understand. you have seen the president in past political fights focus on the things that are popular. young people get to stay on their parents' health care a little bit longer. you can't deny people coverage for pre-existing conditions. he needs to find a communication strategy, a north star that says when we get here, i think this will be better for you. but there may be some bumps along the road and government's going to have to do a good job in helping people deal with

those bumps, again, not my job to get advice. i'm not endorsing the health care law, but as you make the big changes and people have questions and what they are hearing is the polarized political environment, there needs to be a place for them to go where they can get advice they trust and that's a huge challenge for the president and the entire administration. >> john king, thanks so much for joining us. appreciate it. >> thank you. and i'm excited to announce we're gassing up the cnn health care express and hitting the road to talk about some of the things john and i were discussing. the first week of october we'll travel around the country to see what states are really doing about obama care. we're going to answer your questions. we're going to provide knowledge. and we're going to make sure you really understand what's going on with your health care. so, i hope you'll join us for that. but right now, you'll want to stay tuned for this. the always good for a laugh sherri shepherd, she's going to sit down with me and we're going to get somewhat serious about diabetes. ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪

i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪ so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma, or can not empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. get emergency medical help right away if your face, lips, throat or tongue swells. toviaz can cause blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness and decreased sweating. do not drive, operate machinery or do unsafe tasks until you know how toviaz affects you. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. talk to your doctor about toviaz.

we talk a lot about big blockbuster drugs to solve blockbuster health issues, but it turns out something as simple as cinnamon could be a key to lowering glucose levels for

diabetics and it's important for you to know. it doesn't mean that you should immediately hop in your car and buy yourself a cinnamon bun, that's not we're talking about here. but type ii diabetics that took cinnamon supplements in a pill form saw heart health benefits, it seemed to reduce their total cholesterol, ldl, and their triglyceride levels and it increased hdl or the good cholesterol levels. there's someone out there that knows a thing or two about diabetes and she's also very funny. i decided to have her on the show. she's sherri shepherd, she has a great book out, "plan "d" how to lose weight and beat diabetes even if you don't have it." you write in the beginning of the book, just writing a book about eating right and having a healthy diet makes me chuckle. why? why does that make you -- what is it about it? >> i don't know. because just the thought of eating right, you know, for me and i say in the book, when your heart is broken, nobody says give me a plate of steamed

asparagus. oh, my gosh, he cheated on me, if i don't get broccoli quick. you just don't so, you know, the thought of eating right, plus i was one that never ate right. i was always eating unhealthily. i loved everything fried. i found you could fry a twinkie, i learned how to do that. fried things in oil, you know, things if it didn't have velveeta cheese on it, i didn't want it. so now the thought that i've been drinking water straight for two years that's all i drink is funny to me because i would have laughed you out of the room. >> and when you talk about the fried foods and the velveeta, do you get hungry? do you have the cravings? how do you feel now about it? >> when i think about it, it's almost like being a drug addict, oh, gosh that feeling. oh, i can't go in that bar. you know, i can't go there. >> right. yeah, and it's -- there's a lot of analogies there. i mean, you want to avoid that food and if you try to love it -- there's no question it tastes good. it's palatable, that's why it sells so much.

you also wrote that diabetes which is this disease as you know by the year 2020 half the country will either have diabetes or be prediabetic, you say, in fact, it saved your life. >> it absolutely did. >> what do you mean by that? >> because the diabetes forces me to look at labels, to really read how many carbohydrates it has. does it have a lot of sodium. what is the sugar content. it forces me to go to boot camp three times a week because i want to be here. it forces me to make conscious decisions about what i put in my mouth so when i look at something, i look at that cheesecake and i go, oh, do i want my foot or do i want that cheesecake. and this is all from diabetes. so, when people bless sose cute -- the church ladies that go to church and we're going to pray that god take diabetes away from you! no, don't pray that because diabetes is saving my life. it is forcing me to be healthy. >> i think it's such an important message. and it can be proactive. people can feel empowered hearing you talk about this.

what did you experience at the time? how did you know you had diabetes? >> oh, wow. i had so many symptoms and i ignored them for a long time because i remember going to the doctor and they would say, you're prediabetic and i would go, that doesn't mean i have diabetes, right? they'd say, no, well, i don't want to hear no more. i don't have it. pre-nothing, that means i can still eat. i would ignore the signs and the symptoms. i would start having a numbness in my hands and feet and then it would tingle and my vision was blurry. i was thirsty all the time. no how many times i went to the bathroom, i had to go again. >> right. >> i didn't lose any weight. i have to say i didn't lose any weight. that wasn't one of the signs. but it got to the point where i couldn't ignore it anymore and i went to the doctor. and i remember they said, you know, eat and then four hours later they would do the testing. so, i went to the pancake house and i ate all you can eat pancakes and dripping with butter and syrup and i remember there i was sitting there in my the gown, plastic gown, why do you make the gowns and they're open at the butt and all the air was going back there and i was

sitting there, and i heard the doctor say, yeah, she's got it. >> really? >> yes. she gave me that diagnosis of diabetes and it was like a sledgehammer, you know, to my heart because it was, like, you can't run away from it anymore. >> and you knew about diabetes because, again, you wrote about this in the book about your mom, a rotten dangerous disease, that was your quote. >> my mom passed away from the complications of diabetes at 41 years old. and, you know, she never explained to us that she had diabetes. we saw her eat candy all the time. she would drink red punch. were always seeing here going to the hospital because she had some type of insulin attack is what we called. but people in my family called it the sugar. >> right. >> we never thought it was anything, a big deal, so, you know, even when she passed away from those complications, she went into a coma and her internal organs started shutting down, that didn't even make me change the way i ate. i even went towards food more. >> you talk about your mom laverne -- >> yes. >> -- and you have an 8-year-old son jeffrey.

i have an 8-year-old daughter as you know as well. i'm curious, how do you -- are you modeling or trying to model, he's young still, but how much are you thinking about him when you think about your own diabetes and his eating and all of that? >> i think about him every single day. that is my impetus, that was my motivation for getting myself together, my life together as far as eating right for my type ii diabetes because like i said, my mother, her, you know, dying from complications didn't change anything. even when i got the diagnosis, i went back to the pancake house and ate the food. but it was the thought of my son sitting there, it was a vision of him laying in the bed crying, trying to figure out where heaven was because everybody said mommy was there. and that jeffrey, so when i think about, you know, when i have to go exercise because i do not like exercising, but i go to the gym, when i'm at boot camp, i picture my son there at the finish line going, mommy, you can do it. >> so delighted to meet you. >> i'm delighted to meet you, too. >> you're getting me choked up a little bit here, and you make me laugh so hard within a few minutes. thank so much.

thank you nor joining us. >> thank you. you'll want to stay around for this as well. a young girl wants to play basketball, but her parents tell her she's too fat. she overcomes years of anger and wait to see what she's accomplished. and no calorie options. that's why on vending machines, we're making it easy for people to know how many calories are in their favorite beverages, before they choose. and we're offering more low calorie options, including over 70 in our innovative coca-cola free-style dispensers. working with our beverage industry and restaurant partners, we're helping provide choices that make sense for everyone. because when people come together, good things happen.

okay, who helps you focus on your recovery? yo, yo, yo. aflac. wow. [ under his breath ] that was horrible. pays you cash when you're sick or hurt? [ japanese accent ] aflac. love it. [ under his breath ] hate it. helps you focus on getting back to normal? [ as a southern belle ] aflac. [ as a cowboy ] aflac. [ sassily ] aflac. uh huh. [ under his breath ] i am so fired. you're on in 5, duck. [ male announcer ] when you're sick or hurt, aflac pays you cash. find out more at aflac.com.

♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing good around ♪ ♪ turn around barry ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪ it's a battle that millions of people are fighting every minute of every day, and far too many are losing this battle. it's against weight gain and if you're looking for some inspiration, i want to introduce you to annette miller, she's our

biggest loser. growing up in tennessee, annette miller always dreamed of playing basketball. >> i got a permission slip from our coach at school, and i came running home that day. i was so excited i was going to get to play basketball. and instead of getting a signature from my parents, i was told you're too fat to play. >> at 10 years old and more than 200 pounds she said, that mantra instantly changed her life. >> you're too fat followed me into adulthood. >> but years later when her twin sister babette needed a kidney transplant -- >> i wasn't considered to be a donor. it was the kick in the pants i needed. >> she hit the gym she was determined to get the weight off. by november of 2012, she was well on her way. >> i'm proud to say at this point i've lost over 100 pounds. >> and she wasn't finished. miller applied for the cnn fit nation challenge and she was accepted in january. >> congratulations, we've

already picked you -- >> nice. and we did help her fulfill her childhood dream and play basketball with the atlanta hawks. over the next eight months she trained hard. swimming, biking, running. to compete in the nautica malibu triathlon. annette did make it to malibu along with the rest of the fit nation team. first i want to remind you who they are and then we'll show you how did in the race. tabitha mcmann. >> when i was 19 years old i became ill with ulcerative colitis. i've been working really hard over the past 12 to 18 months on my own to get back on my shape. >> stacey manto. >> long hours and my health has definitely taken a hit. i want to swim and i want to bike and run to a better me, to a better lifestyle. >> ray timmy. >> after 25 years working with the colorado department of

corrections, i get to retire, but i want my retirement to be ten times as wonderful as my life and career so far have been. >> and douglas mogul. >> 13 months ago i went into sudden cardiac arrest as a fourth grade teacher, i teach the students in my classroom that they need to work really, really hard in order to reach excellence and success. you know, ironically i haven't been adhering to my own advice. >> it all started with a trip to atlanta. >> what's your heart rate at? >> eager to learn about a new sport. and nervous about the road ahead. >> good, good, annette! >> then they took their knowledge home with them and they trained six days a week. >> one, two, three. >> hourlong workouts soon became two, three, even four-hour worko workouts. swimming, biking, running, all of it, in preparation for the big race. last sunday, the ultimate test was before them. >> one, two, three!

fit nation! >> it all started with the half-mile swim in the open waters of the pacific. doug is the first of the pack to make it back to shore. >> good job! whoo! >> ready? >> and next their endurance is pushed even further with an 18-mile bike ride. >> yeah! whoo! >> and the last leg, a four-mile run. one foot in front of the other. >> cnn. >> and all of them crossed the finish line in good time. >> all right, ray timmy. nice job. >> and ray even medals in her age group. congratulations, really, all of you guys, such incredible work,

incredible transformations for each and every one of you. i could not be more proud. and i'm happy to announce right here right now that our fit nation triathlon challenge will continue and it will be in its fifth year in 2014. stay tuned to "sg md." we'll be announcing the calls for submissions next month. if you didn't do it last year, you'll have another chance. i didn't get to participate in the race this year because i was deployed in syria to cover an important story. but i'll be back right after this. [ male announcer ] this is brad. his day of coaching begins with knee pain, when... [ man ] hey, brad, want to trade the all-day relief of two aleve for six tylenol? what's the catch? there's no catch. you want me to give up my two aleve for six tylenol? no. for my knee pain, nothing beats my aleve. is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats

that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy. ♪ [ dad ] jan? ♪ [ female announcer ] some people like to pretend a flood could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them. [ thunder crashes ] it doesn't. stop pretending. only flood insurance covers floods. ♪ visit floodsmart.gov/pretend to learn your risk. to severe plaque psoriasis... the frustration... covering up. so i talked with my doctor. he prescribed enbrel. enbrel is clinically proven to provide clearer skin. many people saw 75% clearance in 3 months. and enbrel helped keep skin clearer at 6 months. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections.

serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. you should not start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ woman ] finally, clearer skin for more than a few days, weeks, or months. enbrel works for me. ask your dermatologist if you can have clearer skin with enbrel.

chasing life today, i want to spend just a minute talking about syria. and i decided the best way to do that might be to introduce you to arkin. she's in her early 20s. show has three sons. she met her husband she told me after his mother came over to her and insisted that they meet and even one day marry. turned out to be pretty good advice for her and a few years later they have three sons, abdel, yousef and allah. they are amazing little boys and they were living in the middle of this middle-class neighborhood in the city of homs, the kids went to school and very much enjoying their lives. i introduce you to them today because they probably live a life, a similar one, to many of yours. parents just trying to do the right thing for their kids, improving their lot in life and being part of the friends and family in the middle of the city. but when the missiles came