Women 's Prevalence Of Diabetes

Diabetes is a growing health concern within Aboriginal communities across Canada, it is a health concern that is often an underlying condition secondary to many other health issues and often goes undiagnosed or untreated. Many individuals within these communities choose to leave their diabetes untreated until it becomes life threatening and becomes too late to treat or control. According to Health Canada (2013), Aboriginal peoples who are living on reserves have a rate of diabetes that is three to five times higher as compared to Non-Aboriginal Canadians (Para. 1). The growing rate of diabetes is especially concerning amongst the Inuit communities, and is a growing concern; the rate of diabetes within this community is expected to steadily increase over the coming years from contributing factors such as lack of activity, poor nutrition and obesity (Health Canada, 2013). For these reasons alone it is important to raise awareness and educate these communities about diabetes and healthy lifestyle so that positive steps can be taken in order to maintain healthy living. Aboriginal peoples living in Canada have higher rates of diabetes as compared to non Aboriginal Canadians, and of the two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, the latter is more prevalent in First Nations communities (Brooks, Darroch, & Giles, 2013). With diabetes uncontrolled, an individual can come across many health problems such as poor circulation, foot ulcers, and sometimes even amputation (American

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Canada, and is growing health concern. This increase is especially apparent in Canadian Aboriginal population where the estimated prevalence of diabetes is three to five times higher than in the general Canadian population. Because of the risk of several health complications such as coronary heart diseases, neuropathy, eye damage, kidney failure, and peripheral arterial diseases, diabetes is a one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Developing health complications increases when diabetes is undiagnosed and represents unseen, but important burden with significant long-term impact on the people’s health status. First Nations individuals have more diabetes risk factors and suffer more diabetes-related health complications than non-Aboriginals. Therefore, accurate data on diabetes prevalence are essential for government, health care and research organizations.

Native Americans have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Native Americans are 60% more likely to be obese and are over twice as likely to have diabetes than the general population. These numbers are even higher for Southwest Native Americans. But their diet is very similar to the rest of modern society. So why do Native Americans suffer these conditions at higher rates than the general population? The answer may be found in new research that is beginning to point to a genetic cause for these conditions. In a study by Peggy Halpern, Ph.D. for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, she found that historically Native Americans of the

Historically, Aboriginal people eat traditional foods found on their land, such as fish and plants. Since being displaced, a significant amount of traditional food consumed is contaminated due to “anthropogenic activities, [and] environmental activities (e.g. mercury and PCBs)” (Richmond and Ross 404). In addition, consumption of traditional

Health has become a growing issue among individuals around the world due to a variety of social determinants such as diet, lifestyles, environment, and level of education that impact one’s health. These factors determine whether an individual receives health problems or not – such as diabetes. Among indigenous individuals, diabetes is an issue that is prevalent because of dietary changes in Canada, different lifestyles compared to indigenous ancestors, and whether one lives on or off reserves. Indigenous individuals like First Nations, Metis or Inuit people overtime have adapted to lifestyle changes, which in the end has impacted their health. As the result of being more sedentary in the West, indigenous individuals have developed poor eating habits along with the lack of exercise that comes with living in the West. The environment is a key influencer in the development of diabetes, which will be discussed in this paper by explaining how society and the physical environment are interconnected with diabetes. This research paper will discuss the reasons for an increased prevalence of diabetes among indigenous peoples in Canada compared to individuals of non-Aboriginal status. Furthermore, the prevalence of diabetes among indigenous individuals in Canada results from factors like poor diet, lack of exercise, colonization, lack of access to medical care, and whether one lives on or off the reserves.

     Many of the inequalities in the health of the Aboriginal people can be attributed to the

Diabetes is a common disease that can be diagnosed among indigenous Australians. It can influence individuals in the aspects of psychological, social and cultural. People with diabetes will have psychological issues such as depression. According to the Elsevier, unipolar depression and other significant depressive symptoms are prevalent in type 2 diabetes and aboriginals are much easier to have type 2 diabetes. They usually have problems in self-management, increased risk of diabetes complications, poor glycaemic control and higher mortality (Feltz-Cornelis et al. 2010, p.381). Specifically, depression in the indigenous Australians with diabetes may affect their

The prevalence of diabetes is 3.5 times as likely as non-Indigenous Australians and 4 times as likely to be hospitalised as a result. This could be linked to socioeconomic determinants of low levels education and consequently unemployment or low income work. Also, ATSI elders typically have a major influence over younger generations and therefore the youth are less likely to ask for help by health professionals and are more likely to seek advice from

Native Americans are mainly affected with type 2 diabetes. This is are mainly due education barriers. Not fully understanding the diagnosis usually leads to further problems, like not being able to treat the diagnosis

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans in 1788, the indigenous inhabitants of Australia were a healthy race of hunters and gatherers whose traditional way of life promoted good health. Little proof has been found of extensive illnesses in Aboriginal people,

Ferris (author of many journals that promote indigenous health) and was published by University of Western Ontario. This article is based on the research provided by Health Nexus over a period of two years. The result of the research created a tool kit and training sessions in regards to obesity prevention, known as “Let’s Be Healthy Together”. Advice for this tool kit was provided by a small group of indigenous people from Ontario including: Métis, First Nations and Inuit parents or grandparents with former backgrounds of health. These people came to the conclusion that nobody is born obese, and that obesity stems from the loss of indigenous cultural traditions over

The Aborigine experiment was made by Kerin O’Dea, a nutritionist researcher. The experiment isolated a group of obese and sick persons from civilization in Australia for seven weeks, where they can’t find any processed food; they eat only what they hunted. The purpose of the Aborigine’ diet was to see the effect of staying away of modern diet in short term on what it’s called “diseases of civilization”, such as diabetes, insulin resistance and triglycerides. The result of this experiment showed a decrease the weight, the blood pressure, triglyceride level and amelioration in metabolic function. Therefore, this experiment gives us hope and shows clearly that the harm caused by the modern Western diet could be repealed in short

On page 85 Pollan brings up a story about how in 1982, Australian Aborigines participated in an interesting experiment that shows the damage the Western diet can do, but also how luckily the human body can heal itself if it gets the right foods. The Aborigines all succumbed to westernization and one can see the effects when Pollan says, “Since leaving the bush some years before, all ten had developed type 2 diabetes; they also showed signs of insulin resistance and elevated triglycerides in the blood” (85). They had all gotten metabolic syndrome, increasing their risk for obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and possibly certain cancers. The Aborigines spent seven weeks off their Western diets and went back to their natural diets and after

Diabetes has consistently been a top health issue in Indigenous communities across Canada and the fly-in community of Sandy Lake, Ontario is no exception to this concern. In fact, the First Nations community of Sandy Lake has had alarmingly high rate of diabetes: in 1999 over 26% of its residents were diagnosed with diabetes - over five times the Canadian average.

The book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan talks about the Western diet. The book includes an experiment in 1982, designed by a nutrition researcher Kerin O’Dea, to see if temporarily twisting the way Westerners eat might also change people’s health problems. And a group of Aborigines participated in the experiment. All of them were overweight and diabetic. They left the civilization and returned to the bush. Men and women only could hunted and gathered foods. They stayed on the coast and inland location for seven weeks, their diet mainly included seafood, turtle, yams, figs and bush honey. The result was positive. After seven weeks returning to the origin, all of these Aborigines had lost weight and their blood pressure dropped. In addition,