Diet and Health among Native American Peoples: Using the Past to Combat the Present Threat of Type II Diabetes
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: Type II diabetes is a significant problem among many Native American communities.Incorporating elements of prehistoric diets, said to be much lower in fats and sugars than the ubiquitous processed foods of contemporary times, holds some promise in mitigating indigenous peoples' predisposition to the condition.These diets were usually much more varied and plant-based than those of today, and first-hand collection and processing of foods expended more energy than a trip to the grocery store.A look at prehistoric health also reveals that agriculture was, like the industrial production of food is today, a significant event for human health, making food more accessible but less healthy.Diabetes is high in Native Americans for genetic, cultural, and socio-economic reasons; it originated in abrupt and often forced transitions to processed low-cost foods.The Indian Health Service, the health organization that serves many American Indians and Alaska Natives, is increasingly addressing diabetes, but its power is limited by funding shortages and cultural differences between the biomedical realm it inhabits and Native American cultures.Community organization and grassroots programs, as well as increased tribal control over health facilities, may make diabetes treatment and prevention programs more effective.Native American efforts to curb the diabetes epidemic may also provide models for other groups facing rising diabetes rates, mostly in supporting the tailoring of programs and diabetes education to people with specific histories and identities.
Author: Chelsea R. Robertson
Institution: Miami University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2240875388