Health Care Challenges faced by Native American Nations: Obesity and Diabetes

Abstract

The article aims to discuss and analyze one of the serious challenges faced by Native American Nations across the United States.
On the example of the largest Native American ethnic group – Navajo Nation. The article states the problem of high rates of overweight
and obesity, Type 2 diabetes that create serious public health concerns for the Navajo Nation. It has more than 300,000 enrolled
members in 110 chapters spread across 27,000 square miles in northeastern Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Indian Health
Service estimates that 25,000 members of the Navajo have Type 2 diabetes and 75,000 are pre-diabetic.
Keywords: Diabetes, Navajo Nation, obesity, historical trauma, health