• Mary Story, June Stevens, John Himes, Elaine Stone, Bonnie Holy Rock, Becky Ethelbah, and Sally Davis.
• Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. story@epi.umn.edu
• Prev Med. 2003 Dec 1; 37 (6 Pt 2): S3-12.

BackgroundAmerican Indians of all ages and both sexes have a high prevalence of obesity. The health risks associated with obesity are numerous and include Type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and respiratory problems. Obesity has become a major health problem in American Indians only in the past few generations and it is believed to be associated with the relative abundance of high-fat, high-calorie foods and the rapid change from active to sedentary lifestyles.MethodsThe authors reviewed selected literature on prevalence of obesity in American-Indian children, and health consequences of obesity.ResultsObesity is now one of the most serious public health problems facing American-Indian children, and it has grave implications for the immediate and long-term health of American-Indian youth. Unless this pattern is reversed, American-Indian populations will be burdened by an increased incidence of chronic diseases. Intervention studies are urgently needed in American-Indian communities to develop and test effective strategies for obesity prevention and treatment.ConclusionsTo be effective, educational and environmental interventions must be developed with full participation of the American-Indian communities.

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