Group Aid Improves Diet, May Cut Diabetes Risk In American Indian Women

“Even low-intensity group support helps motivate young American Indian women to hit the produce aisle, a new study suggests. After participating, these women reported upping their intake of fruits and vegetables a dietary change that can lower this population's increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study targeted urban American Indian women, ages 18 to 40, because more than half of American Indians live in cities and they often have limited access to diabetes-prevention services, said lead author Janice Thompson, Ph.D., of the University of Bristol in England. In the study, published in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, women learned about diet and exercise strategies in monthly, two-plus hour sessions with trained American Indian facilitators. Of 200 original participants, 135 stayed with the study for the entire 18 months.”