An issue in dire need of attention - climbing rates of Type 2 diabetes amongst Native Americans - has made it to Washington. Experts on diabetes and its impact on Native Americans went to Washington Thursday to basically beg for money to continue with the treatment and prevention programs currently in place.

Charles Grim, head of the Indian Health Service, testified yesterday to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee (SIAC) about the disastrous impact diabetes is having in Native American (aka American Indian) and Alaska Native communities. "In some communities, the prevalence rate is as high as 60 percent among adults," said Grim. But the scariest thing is how fast diabetes is spreading amongst younger people. According to the Indian Health Service, diabetes grew by 128 percent amongst teenagers between 1990 and 2004. It also affected many more younger children, but not as badly: the rate of increase for the same period was 77 percent for kids younger than fifteen.

In addition to the testimony of Grim, two North Dakota physicians also spoke at the hearing, urging the SIAC to renew funding for prevention and treatment programs that are currently due to expire next year. Said one of the docs, "We don't want history to repeat itself." The other, Dr. Biron Baker of Bismark, ND, was openly critical of ongoing efforts to stem the spread of diabetes, saying "Administrative ineptitude within the Indian Health Service is a glaring problem."

I guess the answer to the question "Is Congress listening?" is yes. Problem is, those in government who want to help have to come up with money for these programs. Then there are those who take a more cautious approach before they'll approve treatment and prevention programs. People like Wyoming Republican Craig Thomas, who was quoted as saying he wants to see evidence that current programs are effective before throwing his weight behind proposals to improve services. Funny how the money is always available for other pet projects and disastrous wars, but not for stuff like public health programs...

Diabetes is apparently on the rise among Native Americans. Off of the Reuters Health wire, a study confirmed that the number of Native Americans with diabetes (including Alaska natives) who are younger than thirty-five increased markedly over the ten year period of 1994-2004.

Based on the figures, per 1000 people, the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes increased from 8.5 to 17.1 during this ten-year span. This study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and highlighted the exact number of Native Americans under 35 who were living with diabetes in 1994 (6,001) and how that number has now more than doubled (12,313). It was also found that the major increase occurred in Native Americans who were closer to the 35 year mark, whereas those who were younger in age did not experience nearly the same increase.

Obviously, developing Type 2 diabetes while you're still a young 'un is bad for your long-term health outlook, period. Here's a specific example of how it might negatively affect you or someone you know: a new study reports that kids or teens who develop T2 diabetes face a high risk of also developing serious kidney problems down the road, including kidney failure and even death.

The study looked at the long-term health records (almost forty years' worth) of Native Americans from a Southwestern tribe. It was found that the incidence of serious kidney disease in people under thirty-five years of age was much higher if they had first developed diabetes while under twenty years of age. That is, higher than for those diagnosed with T2 diabetes as adults, between the ages of twenty and fifty-five. In addition, the death rate for those first diagnosed under the age of twenty was - very scarily - double that for people diagnosed as adults.

To read more, check out this article in Forbes online.

It's tough to change bad habits on an individual level. It's even harder to turn around bad habits shared by an entire culture. According to the US government, Native Americans are four times more likely to develop diabetes than the general population. One big reason is unhealthy eating habits, which ensure that Type 2 diabetes rates continue to soar amongst Native Americans. The Independent of New Mexico reports on this trend in a recent article. The article puts a spotlight on the staff and customers at the cafe of the Indian Marketplace in the town of Window Rock. While the Navajo National Special Diabetes Project has tried to educate local food vendors about healthy foods and healthy cooking, it's taking time to change the habits of diners, including the regular patrons at the Marketplace. Many diners at the cafe prefer their meats good and greasy, their bread fried in lard, and their burgers sans lettuce. "They want it; so we serve it like that," says Sadine Dooline, the cafe's operator. Dooline describes how her efforts to reduce the fat content of some of the menu options met with complaints from customers. At the same time, however, there are glimmers of hope to be found: she also reports seeing signs of improved health awareness amongst other customers -- those who typically order a tortilla and diet soda instead of a burger and frybread. Pictured at right is an employee at the Marketplace preparing that bad, bad (but oh-so-good) frybread.

Native Americans have one of the diabetes rates in the country. It turns out a diet of traditional foods may provide a solution.

For example, on the Tohono O'odham Reservation, 60 miles west of Tucson, Arizona, more than 50 percent of adults on the reservation have the disease, according to Indian Health Service. The epidemic is largely a result of diets high in starch and sugar and lifestyles that don't include much exercise, experts say.

As with all ethnic groups, healthier eating and exercise can make a great difference in preventing diabetes and in managing the disease. One organization is harvesting desert foods like tepary beans that were once common among native Americans. The foods, low in sugar, harken back to a time when diabetes did not prevail in Indian Country.

The selling point for using these foods? It's good for cultural identity.