"The Faces of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," a traveling photo exhibit that is part of a national public awareness campaign, will be on display in Center Court from Oct. 26-Nov. 1 at Westfield North County in Escondido. Sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the CFIDS Association of America, the free exhibit features portraits (shot by celebrity photographer George Lange) and stories of CFS patients, family members and health care professionals.

Even though research shows that CFS is not a form of depression or hypochondria, many Americans still believe the illness isn't real. This stigma is a huge impediment to diagnosis and treatment. According to CDC research, less than 20 percent of Americans with CFS have been diagnosed.The CDC has announced that CFS is a real illness and that it's a public health concern. More than 4 million Americans are suffering from it.

CFS strikes more Americans than multiple sclerosis or lupus, yet it's still a misunderstood illness and it's very difficult to find health care professionals who know how to diagnose and treat it.

CFS occurs up to four times more frequently in women than in men, although people of either sex can develop the disease. It occurs most often in people between ages 40 and 59, but people of all ages can get CFS. CFS occurs in all ethnic and racial groups, and in countries around the world. Research indicates that CFS is at least as common among blacks and Latinos as it is among whites.

A recent study conducted by DePaul University researchers found that the annual economic impact of CFS in the United States is $18 billion-$24 billion in lost productivity, medical costs and disability benefits.

Learn more at www.cfids.org.