While it
can be easy to dismiss diabetes as a trivial disease, or as something that is
inflicted on a person by their own lifestyle choices, Tommy’s presentation
opened my eyes to some of the less commonly considered impacts of the disease.
In the video watched in class last Friday, we saw the serious long-term health
effects that diabetes can have on a patient: amputations, heart disease, and
loss of sight. Hearing first hand stories about this dangerous progression of
diabetes got me started thinking about how serious it actually is. Then, Tommy’s
presentation opened my eyes even further.
With a lot
of diseases, we tend to focus on the direct impacts it has on a patient,
failing to consider the long term indirect impacts it may have on those around
them. I was shocked by the statistic that infants are five times more likely to
die in the first year if their mother has diabetes. I agree with Tommy’s
conclusion that this relationship, along with its other facets, between diabetes
and infant mortality is likely a prominent factor in the abnormally infant
mortality rate of the Tohono O’odham.
The policy implications of this
fact are tremendous. Not only does the extremely high rate of diabetes for the
Tohono O’odham impact the well-being for the current generation, it also has
serious implications for future generations. If diabetic mothers are significantly
more likely to have unhealthy children, the next generation of Tohono O’odham
could wind up even worse off than their parents. If the next generation is too
preoccupied with health problems, there will not be room for preservation of
culture and tradition. Efforts to educate about the dangers of diabetes,
including the impact on future generations, must be strengthened for the sake
of the resiliency of the tribe. It may sound like a scare tactic, but taking advantage of selfless tendencies and warning young women of the complications that diabetes can cause for their potential future children could motivate healthier decisions.
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