Conference develops vision

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Vancouver was the host city for the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (NADA) third annual conference on diabetes and Aboriginal peoples, held the end of January. Entitled Creating a Vision for Our Future, the onference was to provide information, practical solutions and education on all facets of diabetes pertaining to First Nations people.

Type 2 diabetes was the focus, as it is this form, along with gestational diabetes, that most dramatically affects the Aboriginal population.

In the past, Type 2 diabetes primarily affected those over 40 and was known as "adult onset" diabetes, but in recent years it has increased alarmingly among children and young adults. Awareness about diabetes is on the rise, fortunately, and many people know its risks and symptoms. But with a three-to-five times over-representation in the First Nation population, a significant increase in cases over the last decade, and complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and amputations, there is still much work to be done.

Many different facets were covered over the course of the conference, which was held Jan. 28 to 31. Participants were presented with the latest innovations in treatment, inspiring stories of personal triumph, controversial approaches to diet, and workshops on community-based prevention.

In keeping with the theme, healthy snack choices were provided during breaks, as well as opportunities for physical activity. Especially memorable were the presentations provided by Pam Belgarde and Reggie Mitchell, creators of Rez Robics. The duo led delegates through activities between conference sessions, in addition to hosting a full Rez Robics session on Saturday.

Using powwow dance steps combined with basic martial arts moves set to contemporary music, participants got a great workout and a lot of laughs, as Pam and Reg joked and encouraged the group.

For those looking to exercise their eyes and ears, the conference featured a poster session on the final two days. This provided attendees with the chance to learn more about specific health issues, research initiatives and community organizations. Poster session representatives were on-hand, giving delegates an opportunity to discuss issues in greater depth, to network with like-minded individuals, and to pick up a dizzying array of take-home material.

One presenter at the poster session was Jennifer Duplainte. Duplainte, who is completing her master's degree in community health at the University of Montreal, co-created a study to find out what environmental factors prevented Kanien'keha:ka women from being physically active. Because a lack of regular exercise is one of the major risk factors for diabetes, the results of this study will allow researchers to tailor health intervention strategies to meet the needs of the community.

"We have the what, now we need to think about the how," said Duplainte. "And everybody's how is different."

Barb Whiteye, one of five regional diabetes workers for the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI), was enjoying her first year participating in the poster sessions, and the conference generally. SOADI provided "ribbons of life" to delegates, showing diabetes awareness and the need for healing. Whiteye felt that the conference would provide the tools needed to make small, manageable health changes.

"You don't change your lifestyle for a week or a month or a year, you change it for good," she said.

Whiteye finds that the biggest challenge in her work is dealing with those who don't want to get tested and who are in a state of denial about the illness. As a diabetic herself, she knows the dangers of ignoring the signs. Whiteye began working for SOADI because "I wanted to learn as much about this disease as I could, so that I could share the information with my brothers and sisters, my children, and the members of my community."

So far, it seems to be working. "When they see me comig, they say 'There's the diabetes cop!'" she laughed.

Whiteye was impressed with many of the speakers, especially keynote speaker Shane Wilson. Wilson, who shared the journey of changing his life by losing 150 pounds, was an audience favourite. Whiteye also enjoyed the presentation of Dr. Jay Wortman, whose low-carb eating plan was hotly disputed by dietitians and nutritionists in attendance.

Wortman is a Vancouver-based physician and AIDS advocate whose work with First Nations earned him a 2003 National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Last year, he discovered that he had diabetes, and set out to treat the disease by reverting to a very low-carbohydrate diet of meats, green vegetables, cheese, and berries. In a matter of weeks, he had lost nearly 20 pounds, lowered his blood pressure, and achieved normal blood sugar levels. His success with these dietary changes has led him to encourage other Aboriginal people to do the same.

The traditional Aboriginal diet, Wortman believes, will enable the overweight and obese to shed excess weight quickly, thereby reducing a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. This ancestral way of eating, Wortman said, will also help stabilize blood sugar levels and may even reverse diabetes altogether. Wortman also told the audience not to fear artificial sweeteners, to avoid fruit juices and sugary soft drinks, and he warned that "Type 2 diabetes is an Aboriginal health nightmare. If present trends continue, one-quarter of all First Nations people will have diabetes within 20 years."

When taken to task by delegates who felt that the elimination of food groups and eating so much fat might be too drastic, he responded by saying, "I respect your opinion, but you're saying that we need to continue to follow the advice we've been told all along. The advice to follow the four food groups is wrong. It's not working. We are getting fatter and we are getting diabetes. We need to close the gap between the traditional ancestral diet and toay's diet."

All in all, the NADA conference created an environment of sharing and support that left many delegates feeling positive, informed, and ready to share information with their communities that could help to reverse the tide of this serious illness.