Not Genes but Lifestyle is to Blame for Aborigines' Diabetes

Filed in archive Information , Lifestyle on May 15, 2007

The indigenous people of Australia - the aborigines - are ten times more likely to have diabetes as compared to other Australians not because they have the genes that predisposed them to the disease but mainly because of their lifestyle - idleness, smoking, drinking and a fat- rich diet.

This is the declaration of doctors at the Menzies School of Health Research.

According to Yin Paradies:

"What we have found is that there's no evidence for a gene. For indigenous people, the high rates are caused by environmental factors like stress, low-birth weight and other factors associated with poverty."

However, I wouldn't say that looking for the diabetes gene is a waste of time for we cannot deny the fact that genetics play a big role among other risk factors in any disease or illness.

Also, we have to admit that in any group of people - indigenous or not - lifestyle is the biggest factor to having diabetes.

Read the full report.

[In photo: book cover of Rights for Aborigines]