Native American Diabetes Information

Factors that can lead to Type 2 diabetes include obesity, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Genetic factors contribute as well. Type 2 diabetes is a major health problem for Native American people, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). This organization and others are working to reduce diabetes in the Native American population.

Contributing Factors

• Native Americans seem to have a genetic predisposition to diabetes and obesity, as explained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They tend to have insulin resistance, meaning their bodies do not respond effectively to the insulin produced by the pancreas. Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets common in modern America, along with the genetic factors, have made diabetes an epidemic in this population.

Significance

• One in seven Native Americans has diabetes, according to the Seva Foundation, compared with six of 100 people in the general U.S. population. Mortality rates associated with this disease are also four times higher in Native Americans than in the general population.

Considerations

• The ADA states that in some Native American communities, such as the Pima Indians in Arizona, about half the adults have diabetes.

ADA Program

• The ADA created Awakening the Spirit, a program aimed at providing important information about diabetes to tribal people, promoting healthy food choices and the importance of being active.

Seva Foundation Program

• The Seva Foundation has a Diabetes Wellness Program that supports community garden projects that reintroduce nutritious traditional Native American foods.

Talking Circle

• The Seva program also emphasizes the Diabetes Talking Circle, which helps participants to develop and manage their own strategies for prevention and treatment, as well as providing community support.