Indigenous Health Assignment

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Indigenous Health Assignment Obesity is described as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or more. (1) It has become a dire issue in Australia, having the highest prevalence of obesity globally, (2) and affects both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Accounting for 2.5% of the population, Australian Indigenous people are those that are accepted in community as having Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. (3) As with many aspects of Indigenous health however, there is a characteristic difference of incidences between the two population groups, with numerous underlying causes of obesity specific for the Indigenous people. Acting as a risk factor for several chronic diseases, obesity is of particular concern for society’s health,…show more content…
Due to a range of underlying socio-economic and geographic factors, prevalence of obesity in the Indigenous community is reported to be higher than in non-Indigenous populations. Evidence suggests that obesity can be linked to many chronic diseases that occur among Indigenous peoples. Shared responsibility is the approach, and government policies aim to combat obesity as a community. By using methods surpassing cultural barriers, the combative and preventative strategies address the roots of the issue, vital in the reduction of incidence and further development of obesity. Inevitably, the success of such comprehensive strategies in ‘closing the gap' in health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians relies on real commitment by all sectors of government and the Australian…show more content…
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Australia, 2004-05. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2006. Prevalence of overweight and obesity. [Online]. [2006?] [cited 2009 Apr 21]; Available from: URL:http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:mpLWGFb0IGUJ:www.aihw.gov.au/publications/ihw/atsihpf06r/atsihpf06r-c02-24.pdf+indigenous+non-indigenous+obesity+similar&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Young Australians: Their health and wellbeing. Canberra: AIHW; 2007. Indigenous Australians. [Online]. 2006 [cited 2009 Apr 21]; Available from: URL:http://www.aihw.gov.au/indigenous/index.cfm Thomson N, Burns J, Hardy A, Krom I, Stumpers S, Urquhart B. Overview of Australian Indigenous health status October 2008. [Online]. 2008 [cited 2009 Apr 19]; Available from: URL:http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/ouroverview Overweight and obesity among Indigenous peoples. [Online]. 2008 [cited 2009 Apr 9]; Available from: URL:http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-risks/overweight-obesity/reviews/our-review National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. National guide to a preventive health assessment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Melbourne: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners;

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