Growing Concerns of Childhood Obesity: Focusing on the Children of the Gila River Pima Indian Community
Creators: name: Bina, Christine
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2010

description: There is a growing concern for the problem of childhood obesity in the United States. As many as 12.5 million children in this country are considered overweight, which intensifies risks for a multitude of serious health issues (Office of the Surgeon General, 2010). Overweight and obese children are prone to mental anguish, depression, poor self esteem, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other possible health problems. There is a high prevalence of overweight and obese children in the American Indian population and in the Gila River Indian Community. The obesity problem is particularly concerning in the Gila River Indian Community because of the currently existing high prevalence of health problems associated with obesity including diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension. Additionally, obesity and the associated co-morbidities present a tremendous economic impact on the self-governance health system. The 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study identifies increased prevalence of obesity associated with disparities and ethnicity (CDC, 2007). Approximately 47% of the adult Pima Indian population is obese. The Pima Indians have been identified as having the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the world (almost 50% of the adult population diagnosed) and 20 times the rate of kidney failure as the U.S. population. (California Newsreel, 2008). Often these health issues arise secondarily due to poor eating habits that have developed from life long behavioral and eating patterns. In the 1890s, the traditional Pima Indian diet was high in fiber and starch and approximately only 15% fat. At that time, most Pima Indians were thin, but currently almost 40% of calories in the Pima diet are derived from fat (Marchand, 2009). In the past 3 30 years the Pima Indians have led a more sedentary lifestyle and the rate of obesity has increased at an alarming rate in adults and children. A study performed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona noted an increased BMI of Pima Indian children ages 2-11 and an increased rate of weight gain when compared to reference populations. Approximately 68% of the students in the Gila River Indian Community are in the 85 percentile or above for BMI. Not all overweight children become overweight adults, but there is a greater risk of occurrence. Evidence from a thirty year study of NIH researchers determined that exercising and eating lower fat, fiber-rich foods can delay co-morbid conditions associated with obesity. Revisiting the traditional eating behaviours and active lifestyle of the 1890’s Pima Indians can be beneficial in shifting cultural norms and educating the Gila River Indian Community on preventative measures to fight obesity at the early childhood age. Emphasis must be placed on addressing the behavioral, genetic, and social influences of obesity in the children of the community to identify effective preventative measures and solutions.