Dear Sheena and other Listmembers,

I'm definately not Nikki but feel I have some input related to this
question.  Not the references, which I will be eager to get too, but a
perspective from working in a diabetes prevention program.  There is
increased risk of type two diabetes among persons of color.  I work for a
reservation based diabetes prevention program, and we are endeavoring to
encourage exculsive breastfeeding as a primary prevention measure.

There has been some talk of a thrifty gene that helps individuals in
cultures where food is not always plentiful.  It is a helpful adaptation
when times of feasting are alternated with times of famine, but it is not
helpful with a plentiful food supply.  In Native Americans the Diabetes
Prevention Project showed that losing about 10% of body weight (even 10-15
pounds)and being physically active for 150 minutes a week can prevent or
delay the onset of diabetes.  Since you are asking this question because of
your family history, I am assuming your concern is not one that can be
fixed by exclusive breastfeeding but instead relates to diabetes prevention
in adults with this ethnicity.

Not a totally Lactnet related topic, but one in which I am vitally
interested. For more information on this off-topic area, contact me via my
work e-mail.

Sincerely,


Sharon Jimenez, MS, RN, IBCLC
Nurse Educator/Breastfeeding Specialist
Apache Diabetes Wellness Center
Whiteriver, AZ
In the beautiful White Mountains where we had a white Christmas

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome