Lucy Lastovic
October 28, 2014
Mrs. Lawson- H Block
Essay
Diabetes
and Obesity have become a major epidemic in current day society, especially in
the Native American and Alaskan Native communities. Why are these diseases such
major problems for the Native American and Alaskan Native communities in
comparison to other ethnicities and or races? NIDDM, or Non-Insulin Dependent
Diabetes Mellitus, has a genetic marker with rates highest in full-blooded
Native Americans. In this paper, I will explain the prevalence of obesity and
diabetes in Native American and Alaskan Natives, and also the genetic component
that makes them a higher risk for developing these diseases.
Through
many studies, obesity and diabetes rates in Native American and Alaskan Native
adults, children, and adolescents are higher than the respective US rates for
all races combined. In adults, the prevalence of obesity in these communities is
in 85th percentile or higher, 34% of which are men, and 40% are women.
In youth, obesity rates reported in 1990 and 1991 consisted of more than 9000
children, ages 5-18, living on or near American Indian reservations. Since
then, it is safe to say that these numbers have more than doubled in today’s
current society. Diabetes cases in youth from ages 15-19 soared 68% among the
Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. Also, the American Native and Alaskan
Native communities’ death rate for diabetes was 2.7 times the rate for general
U.S. population. Over a 30 year period in New Mexico, diabetes death rate in
American Natives increased 550% in women and 249% in men. “Some studies as well
as anecdotal comments from Gila River Indian community members indicate that Native
Americans and Alaskan Natives view overweight/obesity as normal and healthy.”
(Dr. Peggy Halpern) This quote shows that these communities see nothing wrong
with their current health issues. It’s not that personally see obesity and
diabetes as an issue; it’s that they receive limited educated in regards to
nutrition, a lack of physical activity, and a deficient diet. Most of these communities
are also unaware of the fact that they possess a genetic component that makes
them predisposed to developing diabetes and or obesity.
The
“Thrifty Gene” theory, proposed by geneticist James Neel in 1962, explains just
why Native Americans and Alaskan
Natives are so prone to developing diabetes and or obesity. For thousands of
years, communities and population that relied on farming, hunting, and fishing
for food experience a great fluctuation of alternation periods in which they
endured feast and famine. For their bodies to adapt to these extreme changes in
caloric needs, their bodies developed a thrifty gene that allowed them to store
fat during times of plenty so that they would not starve during times of
famine. While this gene was extremely helpful in times of famine, these
populations have now adopted to the “typical” western lifestyle. Meaning, they
endure less physical activity due to automobiles, consumption of a high-fat diet,
and access to a constant supply of calories. This Thrifty Gene has begun to
work against these communities, continuing to store calories in preparation for
famine, causing their high susceptibility of diabetes and obesity.
Due to the drastic change in lifestyle, as
well as the Thrifty Gene component, it is clear to see how American Natives and
Alaskan Natives are so highly affected by diabetes and obesity. Unfortunately,
most communities lack education in proper nutrition and diabetes/obesity awareness.
If they were provided with such information, it could drastically improve the
health in these communities. Native Americans and Alaskan Natives can reduce
their chances of developing one of these diseases, even though they are still
at high risk due to their medical history, but eating healthy and getting
plenty of exercise.
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| The Diagram above shows the process of the Thrifty Gene Theory |
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| Data above shows the prevalance of Diabetes and Obesity in American Indians. |
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| The Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Diabetes Prevention and Healthy Heart Initiatives |
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Very popular Native American dish, Fry Bread, a deep-fried pastry full of carbs and fats
Native
American Research Sources
I
used the source above for information concerning more factual evidence than
opinion based. It gave me insight on the demographics, contributing factors to
health disparities, and health statistics of diabetes and obesity in the
American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. This source helped me in my
research by giving me a brief introduction to the topic, and also helping me
focus my research on certain aspects of the topic.
This source provided copious amounts of information
about why obesity and diabetes are such major problems in American Indian and
Alaskan Native communities today. There was information anywhere from risk
factors and methodological issues, to determinants and preventions of obesity and
diabetes in American Indians. This source gave me a much deeper understanding
of why diabetes and obesity are so prevalent in these communities today. It
also helped me in my research by containing multiple sections of information about
the subject, while still staying focused on the main topic.
While this source contains all
factual information, it has more of a Native American based view of the topic
itself. It provides a lot of information about lack of healthcare and lack of
awareness of why diabetes and obesity are so prevalent in their communities.
This source helped me in my research by showing that American Indians and
Alaskan Natives have great difficulty in receiving help from healthcare systems
due to the fact that the lower state of health you are in, the lower quality
care you receive. This source was very beneficial in showing the struggles that
these communities face in getting proper healthcare and education in preventing
diabetes and obesity.
This source provided most of the information for my
research paper seeing as it contained all the possible information I could
need. It provided the prevalence of diabetes and obesity in American Indians
and Alaskan Natives, determinants of diabetes, genetic factors, obesity
factors, lifestyle changes, pathogenesis of diabetes, and lastly the mortality
rate of diabetes in these communities. As one could see, this source was very
beneficial to my research by introducing many topics of the pre-deposition and susceptibility
of diabetes and obesity in American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
This
source is predominantly about the Thrifty Gene, which is the gene that explains
why American Indians and Alaskan Natives are at extreme risk of developing
diabetes and/or obesity. This source was very important in my research because
it is the foundation of why American Indians and Alaskan Natives are at such
high risk of developing diabetes and/or obesity.
Even
though this source is focused on how obesity and diabetes affect American
Indian and Alaskan Native Youth, it shows that the youth are already developing
these diseases at very young ages. If these communities can prevent the development
of diabetes and/or obesity in the youth, it will decrease the chances of them developing
these diseases in their adulthood. This source also provides helpful tips on
how we as a country can help prevent the development of diabetes and obesity in
the youth, but also how we can provide education to those who may not know that
them, or those around them, are at risk for these diseases. This source helped
me in my research by providing an insight of how the need of education and
preventive programs of diabetes and obesity are desperately needed in these
communities.
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