Dr. Janet Hux, Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
The chief science officer for the Canadian Diabetes Association says loss of culture, poverty and lifestyle have all contributed to rampant diabetes rates in the First Nations community.
Dr. Janet Hux says it is time to end the stigma associated with the illness and to take measures to reduce the staggering costs of dealing with the disease.
Dr. Hux is in Regina to deliver her message to the Regina Chamber of Commerce. She says about one in ten employees have type 2 diabetes, but they are often overlooked or misunderstood by their co-workers and bosses.
“Shaming and discrimination, I think really impacts peoples experience in the workplace,” she said. “To the point where 38 per cent of people with type two diabetes wouldn’t even admit they had it for fear of the stigma.”
A recent study in Alberta reveals some startling numbers about the prevalence of the disease in the First Nations community. The study was published in this month’s edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It finds eight out of ten Aboriginal people will develop diabetes in their lifetime, compared to five out of ten for the general population.
The study also found the onset of the disease was about 25 years earlier in the First Nations community. Dr. Hux says there are number of reasons, including stress brought on by loss of identity and culture.
“I am talking about a stress that comes from having your culture ripped away from you,” she said. “A stress that comes from not having a sense of identity and belonging and that stress factor I believe is a risk for diabetes.”
It is estimated diabetes costs the Canadian economy about 14 billion dollars a year.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed through diet and exercise, but there is no cure. Left untreated, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, organ failure, blindness, amputations and death.