American Indian teens: Project EAT for healthier living.

Studies have shown that 50%–70% of overweight teenagers become overweight adults. Some of the health costs of being overweight include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. We examined 246 American Indian teenagers and found that 41% were overweight. This number is much higher than the number of nonNative American teenagers who are overweight (about 30%), so we concluded that overweight is more common in urban American Indian youth than in teenagers in general. The study also examined factors that are linked to being overweight. We found that overweight American Indian teenagers watched more television and tried more weight-control methods than did the teenagers who were not overweight. Overweight American Indian teenagers also knew more about nutrition; they said that they cared less about staying fit, but they were less satisfied with their bodies. Overweight youth were more likely than normal-weight youth to have parents who dieted and encouraged them to diet. The results of the study suggest that programs to prevent and treat obesity are especially needed in American Indian youth. Programs for American Indian teenagers need to involve the families and should reduce time spent watching television and promote healthy body images and healthy eating.