Leading Our Way: Urban and Rural Indigenous Diabetes and Obesity Wellness Programs

Abstract

Urban living Indigenous Peoples in Canada experience diabetes 3-6 times and obesity 1.5 times more than the general population. Indigenous children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and complications are more severe for all ages. These disparities are directly related to racism, discrimination and colonization. Western (mainstream) health systems have had limited success in effective health-care provision for Indigenous people, however, culturally-safe Traditional and Western partnership programs have demonstrated better outcomes.