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Obesity in American-Indian children: prevalence, consequences, and prevention

Mary Story1, June Stevens, John Himes

  • 1Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. story@epi.umn.edu

Preventive Medicine
|November 26, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Obesity is a critical public health issue for American Indian children, leading to severe health risks. Community-based interventions are essential for prevention and treatment to reverse this trend.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • High prevalence of obesity observed across all ages and sexes in American Indian populations.
  • Obesity is linked to serious health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and respiratory issues.
  • Rapid lifestyle changes and increased availability of high-calorie foods contribute to the rising obesity rates in recent generations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on obesity prevalence in American Indian children.
  • To examine the health consequences associated with obesity in this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of selected studies.
  • Analysis of data on obesity prevalence and health outcomes in American Indian children.

Main Results:

  • Obesity represents a significant public health crisis for American Indian youth.
  • Grave immediate and long-term health implications for American Indian children are associated with obesity.
  • Without intervention, American Indian populations face a higher incidence of chronic diseases.

Conclusions:

  • Urgent need for intervention studies focused on obesity prevention and treatment within American Indian communities.
  • Effective educational and environmental interventions require full community participation for success.
Abstract

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