For next week, Friday the 12th, I'd like to meet up to talk a bit about diabetes. (Honestly, I'd like to make diabetes a common theme in these talks.) I sent around a paper about the effects of diet and lifestyle on genetically similar groups of Pima Native Americans. If you'd like a copy, let me know and I'll send one to you.
There are a number of troubling facts about native peoples and diabetes: the groups are developing the disease more frequently and at younger ages. Being that infertility is one potential complication of uncontrolled diabetes--even in a young patient--the disease poses an existential threat to tribes like the Pima. Some of the most susceptible, smaller groups may lose their ability to reproduce and pass out of existence in a couple of generations. The extermination that smallpox, the Conquest of the New World, and the US cavalry couldn't quite finish may finally be brought about by the easy comfort of sliced bread and TV.
Here's another resource on the Pima and diabetes that might be worth at least browsing along with the paper.
As always, we're open to suggestions for future discussion topics. Please email me to propose a piece for the group!
(jrweil _AT_ gmail.com)
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