Looma Healthy Lifestyle Program

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Introduction:

This essay explores the effectiveness of the Looma healthy lifestyle program in prevention and management of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease in the Aboriginal community of north-west of Australia and it compares the results with The Zuni Diabetes Prevention Program which engaged in a community-based educational plan to reduce health diabetes in North America.
The Looma Aboriginal community, in the remote Kimberley region of north-west Australia and the Zuni Indians community in North America, has few facts in common. Both have been victims of colonisation, and they have become a minority relative to the dominant Caucasian groups in both countries. Aboriginals and American Indians/Alaska Natives are over-represented …show more content…

They were very skilled hunter-gatherers and had a high understanding of plants, animals, and natural resources as well as spiritual connection and respect for the land. The legacy of colonisation in the late 1800s introduced a new, unfamiliar way of life to the Aboriginal lifestyle. Changes including: living in permanent homes, cooking food in pots and pans, foreign ingredients and goods from outside of Australia. Colonisation in Australia also brought new diseases, infecting the Aboriginal, who had no resistance to the new illnesses limiting their ability to continue living a traditional lifestyle. European cooking techniques and imported ingredients such as refined cereals, sugars, saturated fats, and salt fused with their native foods. These significant dietary influences affected indigenous community’s health and wellbeing. Among all the major influences, consumption of processed and westernised food, changes in the distribution of local plants and animal varieties and changes in cultural eating and cooking habits had a significant effect on ethnic dietary changes of native people globally (Brimblecombe, Maypilama and Colles …show more content…

(2000), The Looma Healthy Lifestyle program’s had success as the evaluation of the program in 4 years period has shown reductions in cardiovascular risk factors but the minimal decrease in obesity and diabetes. The success of the program was established on several factors; Firstly, the program was supported by the Aboriginal community members. They contributed and involved in the program themselves. Their contribution linked directly to the ongoing process of change and dietary improvement. Aboriginal people controlled and managed the community-based plans which made it sustainable and successful by lowering biochemical and behavioural risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This program helped Aboriginal people to have a better knowledge of the importance of diet and physical activity in prevention and self-management of diabetes. Secondly, the commitment of the community members, council members, workers, store managers and academic

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