A New Approach to Preventing Diabetes

More Navajos are getting Type II diabetes at an earlier and earlier age, a devastating situation.

Working with the Indian Health Service, an extension agent for The Navajo Nation in Shiprock, New Mexico proposed a novel solution: the Hike and Bike Project. Steve Etter, an Arizona agricultural extension agent, believes some increase in diabetes is related to lifestyle, "a life sitting in front of the TV."

So, he bought 20 bicycles. A local pediatrician helped identify 40 to 50 children who would benefit from an exercise program, based on family history and weight problems. Twenty signed up for the May to October "Hike and Bike" program.

Once a month, all the youngsters, along with Steve, his wife and baby, took a three-to-five mile combined hiking and biking trip in the Colorado mountains.

There was more to the project --- a lot more. Every Wednesday, the children had a hands-on nutrition lesson. They did more than merely learn about a good diet; they cooked, ate---and enjoyed---the foods.

Each child kept a daily journal, designed to "get the kids to read and write, and incidentally provide a way to evaluate the project." Every day, each child walked for 30 minutes; verified by parents. "We didn't talk about the weight issue, per se," Steve says. The basic idea was having fun in a non-competitive atmosphere. At the end of the summer, the youngsters submitted records at the County Fair.

Long range diabetes incidence data are not yet available from one year of the Hike and Bike" project. But, one nine-year-old lost 20 pounds over the summer, and the pediatrician is enthusiastic about improvements he's seen. Next year, Steve will repeat "Hike and Bike."

Document part of 1999 Native American Programs in the College of Agriculture
Located at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/azlp47-2/preventing_diabetes.html
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