ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Chronic Conditions: Native North American Nutrition and Diabetes

Updated on October 3, 2016
Patty Inglish, MS profile image

Patty has advanced degrees in preventive medicine and health psychology, with 35 years of work in allergy and other autoimmune treatment.

Artwork from Native Mexican Americans
Artwork from Native Mexican Americans | Source

Indigenous heritage has been labeled a risk factor for Type II Diabetes.

Cultural and Genetic Heritage and Health

Diabetes seems to be attacking everyone in the 2010s. Two families I know are seeming opposites in nationalities, one British and the other Eastern European, but a great many in each family suffers insulin-dependent diabetes within Type II.

I know several people of a partial First Nations or Native American heritage as well that are taking insulin daily. At the same time, I know others of a range of diverse heritages (including Cherokee) that have controlled Type II Diabetes with diet and exercise. Nationality does not seem to be a deterrent in these particular cases.

Native Americans and First Nations have separate dedicated health divisions in their countries' federal governments from the "rest of the population", or perhaps in addition to the mainline departments. These peoples' Indigenous heritage has been labeled a risk factor for Type II Diabetes.

In fact, Type I Diabetes is rare, more so the farther north on the North American Continent one examines the inhabitants, in the home of the furthest northward Indigenous populations examined.

Our Indigenous Peoples Have 230% Higher Chance for Diabetes

Inuit People - National Cathedral, Washington DC

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/ | Source

Pima Nation may have the highest rate of diabetes in the world.

Diabetes and Nutrition Research Background

Canada's health services report that in 1960, First Nations showed an almost 0% rate of diabetes, but the condition it was already a problem in the USA.

By the year 2010, Type II Diabetes had become an epidemic among Native North Americans from Mexico up through USA and Canada. Mexico became the "most obese" of the three countries because of what they call Vitamin T - taco culture/cuisine. Mexican children were declared the most obese in the world.

In many cites and towns outside the Golden Horseshoe on the northwest and southwest shores lake Ontario, in northern areas where transportation is more difficult, First Nations are confronted with an abundance of junk food at high prices in the grocery stores. All this contributes to developing diabetes.

Healthy foods are even higher-priced -- For example, a 2-litre of milk in Sandy Lake cost over $6.50 CND in late October 2010.

The dream catcher in native health is used to help children "catch" bad dreams before they suffer nightmares. We need a diabetes catcher!
The dream catcher in native health is used to help children "catch" bad dreams before they suffer nightmares. We need a diabetes catcher! | Source

Our Indigenous Peoples Have 230% Higher Chance for Diabetes

National Insitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Part of the NIH, this health division publishes the related risk factors for our Indigenous Peoples of North America. The risk for Type II Diabetes among these peoples is rising.

In 2004, the NIDDK reported that 40% of all adults aged 40 to 74 in America were in pre-diabetes and therefore, at higher health risk:

Indigenous Peoples were 2.3 time (230%) more likely than whites who were not Hispanic to develop Type II Diabetes and its associated higher risks of stroke and heart disease.

New health promotion education programs were put into place on Reservations around the US, including Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. They have their own Diabetes Care Center and one of the recommendations is for the overweight to lose 5 to 7% of their body weight. This small start reduces the risk significantly.

The DCC is housed in a large building with examination rooms, a physical fitness room, a patient-family education conference room, a teaching kitchen, and office space, along with a certified lab and a pharmacy.

From 2004 - 2010, some positive results have been seen from the DCC, indicating that nutrition, exercise, and a small amount of weight loss can prevent pre-diabetes from becoming Type II Diabetes.

The percentage of Native Americans from Alaska down to the American Southwest that have Type II Diabetes increases from North to south from 6.0% up to over 29%. However, one nation, the Pima Nation of the Gila River AZ suffers a 50% rate of Type II Diabetes. Pima Nation may have the highest rate of diabetes in the world.

The highest rate in Canada is in Sandy Lake, Ontario: 25%.

When Native North Americans consumed more free range meat than westernized cuisine (fast food, etc.), they suffered fewer cases of diabetes.
When Native North Americans consumed more free range meat than westernized cuisine (fast food, etc.), they suffered fewer cases of diabetes.

Jobs with the US American Indian Health Service (IHS)

Jobs available and relative to Native Americans in the USA stood at approximately 3,000 vacancies during Autumn 2016. Many of these positions involve diabetes prevention and treatment in a portfolio of other duties.

Highest Demand Job Titles are:

  1. Physician Assistant
  2. Pharmacist
  3. Dental Officer
  4. Nurse Practitioner (NP with the RN license)
  5. Medical Officer (All Specialties)
  6. Dental Assistant
  7. Medical Technologist
  8. Practical Nurse (LPN)
  9. ER Nurses
  10. Community Health Aides

Jobs are open across the nation with the IHS and other companies in the states of Minnesota, Florida, and Alaska as some of the top job producers.

Medicine Man and patient in centuries past.
Medicine Man and patient in centuries past.

Recommendation to North American Indigenous Peoples

  • Lower the amount of fats in the diet.
  • Lower the amount of sugar in the diet.
  • Lower the number of calories eaten on a usual daily basis.
  • Eat healthier foods overall and eliminate pop or soda.
  • Exercise 30 minutes daily.
  • If you are pregnant or newly delivered, breastfeed your baby to prevent diabetes in your child. Breastfed babies are LESS likely to become overweight and to have Type II Diabetes later.
  • These are even more important for Native Americans in the Southwestern US States.

Native American Chiefs at the end of the Civil War, 1865.
Native American Chiefs at the end of the Civil War, 1865.

© 2010 Patty Inglish MS

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)