Drew Ferrara
10/27/14
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| In Native American communities, obesity is a growing problem, affecting kids at a very young age. |
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| Diabetes is the most abundant disease in Native American communities. |
Drew
Ferrara
History
Essay
10/28/14
Health Issues in Native American Communities
The second someone is born, is the
second they begin to die. Death is inevitable and everyone will eventually die,
whether it is from natural causes or like a horrific nightmare. There are numerous
scientific studies which show how different foods and substances will
negatively affect the body and inevitably shorten one’s life. Health issues,
such as obesity and diabetes, cause many problems in the body, such as heart
diseases and blood clots. It is proven that the more over-weight someone gets,
the shorter their life becomes. This is extremely apparent in Native American
communities, where the percent of people who are obese or have diabetes is
higher, compared to Caucasians, and is growing. In addition to the apparent
health issues, injuries and violence, such as rape, are also a major cause of
death in Native American communities. Even though health problems and violence are
more common in Native American communities, compared to the remainder of the
United States, there are organizations working to reduce these flaws.
In recent years, the average weight for an American
citizen has been steadily increasing. This is due to the evolution of food from
natural homemade foods to the unhealthy, fattening foods we see today. Foods
served at popular fast food restaurants are quick and cheap but drastically
affect our bodies in unpleasing ways. These affects on the body are enhanced in
Native American communities, allowing for an increase in obesity. The
preservatives and supplements found in common foods has a unwanted affect on
Native Americans because their bodies are accustomed to the traditional foods
they once ate, therefore the fake foods we see today are not properly digested
and cause obesity, which later leads to diabetes. A study from The Center of
Disease Control and Prevention shows that traditional foods help prevent type 2
diabetes and promote a healthier lifestyle due to the natural ingredients.
Because of the availability and speed of cheap and delicious food, Native
Americans have subsided to eating unhealthy foods because most Native American
communities are poor. Because of this, compared to white Americans, Native Americans
are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. To help with this growing
issue, the communities are funding local farmers and markets in order to
restore traditional foods into the community. If Native Americans return to
these local foods, then the obesity rate in these communities will drop,
because the local foods are healthier and more suited for their diets, allowing
them to live longer.
In addition, sexual assault has
become an enormous problem in Native American communities and occurs regularly.
According to New York Times “one in three American Indian women have been raped
or have experienced an attempted rape”, which shows that an abnormally high percentage
of women, in these communities, are subjected to rape and abuse. The main
reason that so many Native Americans are sexually assaulted is due to the lack
of police and rape being reported. Only ten percent of rape victims report what
happened. Many rape cases are often caused by the abuse of alcohol by the
victim, attacker, and sometimes both. According to The United States Department
of Justice, one group, called The Violence Against Indian Women Program, has
spent 145 million dollars and has created 700 projects to help prevent
violence, such as rape, against Indian women. Also, Congress ordered a study to
be performed to find the amount of sexual assault on tribal areas in order to
help prevent it. In general, injuries, such as from a car accidents or being
burned, are often fatal because a large percentage of Native Americans are a
large distance away from emergency care, causing them to die more often because
they could not receive proper treatment in time.
Works Cited
