Post by Okwes on Feb 16, 2006 10:18:08 GMT -5
Native Youth & Diabetes (community)
Teaching native kids about diabetes prevention key to helping community
by MICHELLE MACAFEE
Yahoo News Mon Feb 13, 5:23 PM ET
WINNIPEG (CP) - An encouraging thing is happening on the Kahnawake First
Nation near Montreal. The rate of Type 2 diabetes has not increased in
21 years, while in other aboriginal communities across Canada the
disease is what one researcher has called an "emerging epidemic." Alex
McComber, who for a dozen years has helped run a diabetes prevention
project in the Mohawk community's schools, says teaching young children
about proper diet and exercise has been an important part of Kahnawake's
success story.
About two million Canadians have diabetes, but among First Nations
people the risk of Type 2 is three to five times higher than for
non-natives, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association. McComber
was in Winnipeg on Monday to attend a national conference on the
prevention and treatment of the disease in aboriginals. He said it
hasn't always been easy to get through to kids in Grades 1 to 6. The
last four years have been especially difficult because increased
prosperity in the region has led to more money for eating out, video
games and the Internet.
The end result has been a rise in childhood obesity, which contributes
to the preventable disease, even though more kids are also playing
organized sports.
But the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, funded by Health
Canada, has persevered, offering curriculum support for teachers and
helping organize community-wide events such as an annual run. "What
children learn at an early age they're more likely to keep," said
McComber.
"By creating a supportive environment within the schools and then within
the community, the idea is to reinforce those positive ideas." McComber
said he'd like to see the project go national, but he acknowledges each
community has its unique geographic, cultural and social challenges.
Peggy Monague, 55, is a diabetic who now volunteers with the Southern
Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative to help people understand risk
factors and recognize symptoms.
Her reserve, the Beausoleil First Nation on the southern end of
Ontario's Georgian Bay, isn't as remote as many aboriginal communities
struggling with soaring diabetes rates. But she said the solution is
more complex than just telling people to adopt a better diet.
"We don't have the foods they (dieticians) often want us to eat," said
Monague. "Or we can't afford the foods or we have transportation
problems getting to the grocery stores."
Dorothy Thompson, a 36-year-old diabetic grandmother from the Norway
House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, said one of the main reasons
she's attending the conference is because she and her children haven't
had access to programs such as the one offered in Kahnawake.
"I'm hoping to be able to teach my own children how to take care of
themselves and just manage," said Thompson, who is joined in Winnipeg by
her 19-year-old diabetic son. "I'm just learning new things here and
there and I hope to be teaching other people back home."
Diabetes prevention emerged as one of the top priorities last fall in
Kelowna, B.C., during a first ministers meeting to address aboriginal
poverty and health care.
The final communique cited a goal to reduce the diabetes rate by 20 per
cent in the next five years, but the deal is in limbo since Prime
Minister Stephen Harper has said his newly elected government won't
honour the specific terms.
McComber said he ultimately believes governments need to focus on
educating children at a young age in order to finally get a downturn in
the statistics.
"Children are at the centre of the circle. There needs to be vision.
There needs to be a supportive environment created within a school and a
community to back them up."
Teaching native kids about diabetes prevention key to helping community
by MICHELLE MACAFEE
Yahoo News Mon Feb 13, 5:23 PM ET
WINNIPEG (CP) - An encouraging thing is happening on the Kahnawake First
Nation near Montreal. The rate of Type 2 diabetes has not increased in
21 years, while in other aboriginal communities across Canada the
disease is what one researcher has called an "emerging epidemic." Alex
McComber, who for a dozen years has helped run a diabetes prevention
project in the Mohawk community's schools, says teaching young children
about proper diet and exercise has been an important part of Kahnawake's
success story.
About two million Canadians have diabetes, but among First Nations
people the risk of Type 2 is three to five times higher than for
non-natives, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association. McComber
was in Winnipeg on Monday to attend a national conference on the
prevention and treatment of the disease in aboriginals. He said it
hasn't always been easy to get through to kids in Grades 1 to 6. The
last four years have been especially difficult because increased
prosperity in the region has led to more money for eating out, video
games and the Internet.
The end result has been a rise in childhood obesity, which contributes
to the preventable disease, even though more kids are also playing
organized sports.
But the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, funded by Health
Canada, has persevered, offering curriculum support for teachers and
helping organize community-wide events such as an annual run. "What
children learn at an early age they're more likely to keep," said
McComber.
"By creating a supportive environment within the schools and then within
the community, the idea is to reinforce those positive ideas." McComber
said he'd like to see the project go national, but he acknowledges each
community has its unique geographic, cultural and social challenges.
Peggy Monague, 55, is a diabetic who now volunteers with the Southern
Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative to help people understand risk
factors and recognize symptoms.
Her reserve, the Beausoleil First Nation on the southern end of
Ontario's Georgian Bay, isn't as remote as many aboriginal communities
struggling with soaring diabetes rates. But she said the solution is
more complex than just telling people to adopt a better diet.
"We don't have the foods they (dieticians) often want us to eat," said
Monague. "Or we can't afford the foods or we have transportation
problems getting to the grocery stores."
Dorothy Thompson, a 36-year-old diabetic grandmother from the Norway
House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, said one of the main reasons
she's attending the conference is because she and her children haven't
had access to programs such as the one offered in Kahnawake.
"I'm hoping to be able to teach my own children how to take care of
themselves and just manage," said Thompson, who is joined in Winnipeg by
her 19-year-old diabetic son. "I'm just learning new things here and
there and I hope to be teaching other people back home."
Diabetes prevention emerged as one of the top priorities last fall in
Kelowna, B.C., during a first ministers meeting to address aboriginal
poverty and health care.
The final communique cited a goal to reduce the diabetes rate by 20 per
cent in the next five years, but the deal is in limbo since Prime
Minister Stephen Harper has said his newly elected government won't
honour the specific terms.
McComber said he ultimately believes governments need to focus on
educating children at a young age in order to finally get a downturn in
the statistics.
"Children are at the centre of the circle. There needs to be vision.
There needs to be a supportive environment created within a school and a
community to back them up."