Bitter Sweet or Toxic? Indigenous people, diabetes and the burden of pollution
![There may be more to diabetes than our diet, or whether or not we get enough exercise. According to several new studies, it may be the result of our exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants. Photo: Leah Ciboulette [cc 2.0]](http://intercontinentalcry.org/wp-content/uploads/POPs.preview.jpg "POPs.preview")
There may be more to diabetes than our diet, or whether or not we get enough exercise. According to several new studies, it may be the result of our exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants. Photo: Leah Ciboulette [cc 2.0]
Note: this is a revised version of my article, "Bitter Sweet or Toxic?" featured in this month's issue of the Dominion, February 2010.
Bitter Sweet or Toxic?
Indigenous people, diabetes and the burden of pollution
WINNIPEG—Diabetes is now widely regarded as the 21st century epidemic. With some 284 million people currently diagnosed with the disease, it’s certainly no exaggeration—least of all for Indigenous people.
According to the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples Report by the United Nations, more than 50 per cent of Indigenous adults over the age of 35 have Type 2 Diabetes, “and these numbers are predicted to rise.”
Diabetes is referred to as a "lifestyle disease," its rampant spread believed to be caused by obesity due to our increased reliance on the western diet (also known as the "meat-sweet" diet) and our avoidance of regular exercise.
While these may certainly be contributing factors, there is growing evidence that diabetes is closely linked with our environment. More than a dozen studies have been published that show a connection between Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); carcinogenic hydrocarbons known as Dioxins; and the "violently deadly" synthetic pesticide, DDT and higher rates of the disease.
“If it is the POPs, not the obesity that causes diabetes, this is really striking if true,” says Dr. David O. Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany.
One out of four Indigenous adults living on reserves in Canada have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. The prevalence of the disease appears to be so great that the number of new cases being diagnosed in Canada may exceed the growth of the Indigenous population. It’s no longer uncommon to find children as young as three with the disease. According to government statistics, 27 per cent of all Indigenous people in Canada will have Type 2 Diabetes in the next ten years.
Sandy Lake First Nation, in the Sioux Lookout Zone of northern Ontario, has all but met the mark. A March 2009 study co-authored by Dr. Stewart Harris found that 26 per cent of the community has the disease, the highest recorded rate of diabetes in Canada. With a population of 2,500, the northern Cree community was recently described as an “epicentre” of the epidemic.
There has been little research on the levels of persistent organic pollutants in Sandy Lake; however, according to the First Nations Environmental Health Innovation Network, several neighboring communities who also have high rates of diabetes, like Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, are known to have elevated levels of PCBs in their blood.
The Mohawk community of Akwesasne has its own conflict with diabetes and exposure to POPs. Located across the New York-Ontario-Quebec borders along the St. Lawrence River, three aluminum foundries upriver from the reserve dumped PCBs into the river for decades, contaminating the water, soil, and vegetation.
For many years, Dr. Carpenter has been involved in the study of Adult Mohawks at Akwesasne. Most recently, in 2007, he took part in a study to examine the diabetes/pollution link in the community. “Our study of adult Mohawks showed a striking elevation in rates of diabetes in relation to blood levels of three persistent organic pollutants, DDE, the metabolite of DDT, hexachlorobenzene and PCBs,” Dr. Carpenter explains. “Our results are quite compatible with those of Lee et al.”
In 2006, Dr. Dae-Hee Lee and her colleagues showed that people with the highest rate of exposure to POPs were roughly 38 times more likely to have diabetes than those with the lowest rate of exposure. Further, “they showed that people who were obese but did not have high levels of POPs were not at increased risk of developing diabetes,” continues Dr. Carpenter. “Probably the reason most people get obese is that they eat too many animal fats, and this is where the POPs are.”
The dietary source of POPs was confirmed by the US Environmental Protection Agency in their Draft 1994 Dioxin Reassessment, which has never been formally released to the public. According to the Draft Reassessment, 93 per cent of our exposure to Dioxin comes from the consumption of beef, dairy, milk, chicken, pork, fish, and eggs; in other words, the western diet.
A May 2001 study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health drew similar conclusions to the EPA Reassessment. In addition, the study found that “nursing infants have a far higher intake of dioxins relative to body weight than do all older age groups,” and that human breast milk was twice as toxic dairy milk. It also found that vegans had the overall lowest rate of POPs in their bodies.
According to an October 2009 paper by the Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology at Masaryk University, another major source of POPs, specifically DDT, is the world’s oceans. The paper also found that despite restrictions placed on the use of DDT more than 30 years ago, concentrations of the toxin are on the rise.
Indigenous people carry an unequally high proportion of this global toxic burden. For instance, according to Environment Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) there are 212 Indigenous communities in Canada living near or downstream from pulp mills and other facilities that produce dioxins and furans. One striking example is the old Dryden pulp mill near Grassy Narrows which, according to the Grassy Narrows and Islington Bands Mercury Disability Board, dumped tonnes of dioxin-laced mercury wastewater into the English-Wabigoon River system from 1962-70.
Forty years later, the poisonous waste continues to pose a “serious health threat” to Grassy Narrows and the Wabaseemoong First Nations, says the Disability Board. No formal steps have been taken toward remediation by federal or provincial governments.
The Tohono O’odham Nation's experience bears a close resemblance to Grassy Narrows: the world’s highest rate of diabetes can be found in the southwest Arizona nation. According to Tribal health officials, nearly 70 per cent of the population of 28,000 has been diagnosed with the illness. The O’odham People make up the second largest Indigenous Nation in the United States.
Lori Riddle is a member of Aquimel O’odham Community and founder of the Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment (GRACE).
GRACE was instrumental in the 10 year struggle against a hazardous waste recycling plant that operated without full permits on O’odham land for decades. Owned by Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation, the plant continuously spewed effluents into the air until it was finally shut down in 2007.
The Romic plant was not the first contributor to the O’odham’s toxic burden, explained Riddle. Looking back to her childhood, she recalled: “For nearly a year, [when] a plane would go over our heads, you could see the mist. We never thought to cover our water. The chemicals just took over and they became a part of us.”
From the early 1950s until the late 60s, cotton farmers in the Gila River watershed routinely sprayed DDT onto their crops to protect them from bollworms. According to the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), each and every year, the farmers used roughly Twenty-three pounds of DDT per acre.
In 1969, the State of Arizona banned the use of DDT; by this time the river was gravely contaminated. According to the ATSDR, farmers then switched to Toxaphene, a substitute for DDT—until it was banned by the US government in 1990.
Because of these chemicals, Riddle explains, the O’odham were forced to abandon their traditional foods and adopt a western diet. Farms also went into a recession, forcing many families to leave their communities. Companies, such as Romic, began moving on to their territory, exasperating the situation. “It’s taken a toll on our quality of life,” she says. “I’ve cried myself to sleep.”
The O’odham are dealing with what Riddle terms “cluster symptoms” including miscarriages, arthritis in the spine, breathing problems, unexplainable skin rashes, and problems regenerating blood cells. This in addition to diabetes, which frequently leads to renal failure, blindness, heart disease, and amputations.
More and more studies are being published that show the link between diabetes and persistent organic pollutants like DDT—stemming from the landmark “Ranch Hand” study. In 1998, the study found a 166 per cent increase in diabetes (requiring insulin control) in US Air Force personnel who were sprayed with the herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The study also found that as dioxin levels increased so did the presence and severity of Type 2 diabetes, the time to onset declined following a similar trend.
However, Dr. Carpenter notes that because of the widely-endorsed belief that diabetes is a life-style disease related to diet and exercise, the link is gaining little attention by governments, news agencies, or by any of the hundreds of non-profit diabetes foundations around the world. “[It] hasn’t even made it into the medical community at this point,” Dr. Carpenter adds. “It takes a long time to change both medical and public opinion.”
“Clearly one thing everyone can do is to eat less animal fats,” suggests Dr. Carpenter. Several Indigenous communities in northern Manitoba and British Columbia have begun to do this, planting their own gardens and building greenhouses; returning, in a traditional sense, to some of the foods that sustained them for millennia. Others are turning to exercise, which plays a vital role not just in the prevention of diabetes, but in their overall health.
"Also, we must find ways of getting the POPs out of the animals that we eat. That is not going to be easy, given how contaminated we have made the world,” adds Dr. Carpenter. For this, Lori Riddle, who is herself a diabetic, points to the Tribal Council and the Federal Government.
John Schertow is an Indigenous rights advocate and author of the blog, Intercontinental Cry.
Additional Resources
Videos
- Introduction to Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Introduction to PCBs
- Plastics and Marine Debris in the world's oceans
- Film: The Gift of Diabetes
Studies
- Three Patterns of Rising type 2 Diabetes Prevalence in the World
- Pesticide Exposure and Self-Reported Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
- Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus among First Nations and non-First Nations adults
- POPs lead to insulin resistance in rats
- An Exploratory Study of Diabetes in a First Nation Community with Respect to Serum Concentrations of p,p’-DDE and PCBs and Fish Consumption
- Association Between Insulin Resistance and Co-Exposure to Dioxins and Mercury
- Temporal changes in PCB and DDE levels among a cohort of frequent and infrequent consumers of Great Lakes sportfish
Reports
- New Research: Nitrates and Nitrites May Cause Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease
- Environmental toxins, a potential risk factor for diabetes among Canadian Aboriginals
- Inorganic mercury causes pancreatic beta-cell death
- Pollution Linked To Obesity, New Study Finds
- Persistant Organic Pollutants may be the cause of diabetes epidemic NOT obesity
- Long-term Pesticide Exposure May Increase Risk of Diabetes
- Common Herbicides and Fibrates Block Nutrient-Sensing Receptor Found in Gut and Pancreas
- Tasmania: Chronic diseases and chemical exposure. The Burden of Diabetes
- BPA Linked to Heart Disease, Diabetes
- Confronting Chronic Pollution: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Risk and Precaution
- Mother Load: Arsenic May Contribute to Gestational Diabetes
- Report: Strong Correlation Between Diabetes and Air Pollution
- Higher farmworker risks include diabetes, respiratory disease
Further Reading
- Toxic shock: Does dioxin trigger diabetes
- Environmental pollution and diabetes: a neglected association
- DDT used as a chemical warfare agent on Indigenous People
- Diabetes hits almost half of aboriginal women
- Manitoba diabetic refused insulin for living on reserve
- Inside the DDT Propaganda Machine
Thanks to John Hummel for his tireless research efforts
- About
- Spread the Word
Could a variety of chemicals added to our natural environment act as additional triggers for diabetes and other “modern” diseases that seem to plague indigenous peoples, Black-Americans and increasing numbers of Euro-Americans? Sure.
Are they likely to be the primary cause of the increase in diabetes? I doubt it. A rapid change in the diet and exercise patterns for many people since the mid-1970s is more likely the chief cause – bad but cheap industrialized food – high in sugar and salt content, as well as TV and cars. Basketball is still a major draw but fewer and fewer kids actually participate and after high school – men and women are driving everywhere instead of walking and watching TV instead of even walking to a nearby hill to watch a sun rise or set or a mile or so to see and talk with a friend.
We know who the enemy is – grin – it is us. Eat better, exercise your body and your vote to get toxic materials and ideas out of our systems!
That’s exactly my point, Ned. It’s not just our fault. I mean, type 2 diabetes is on the rise for children too. Even kids as young as 3 (three!) are being diagnosed..
Please think about this for a moment: Is it really because they’re not getting enough exercise? Or is it because their mom’s are toxic?
At this point, the connection between diabetes and pollution is pretty much irrefutable. All that really remains is for scientists to confirm it with finality..
When they do, there’s going to have to be a shift in funding, in existing prevention and treatment strategies and in medical support. All of this is already considered to be wholly inadequate, especially for indigenous people.
And, of course, we are going to have to come to terms with it all. It’s not just our fault!
excellent work, Ahni
Thanks alot, Jay. I should really say the same to you, for all that great commentary you’re putting out. I’m learning alot. Keep up the good work, my friend
I am a masters student in South Africa in the University of Venda, Limpopo Province; Thohoyandou. that it is Masters of Environmental Management degree. my research topic is “Bioremediation of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs) contaminated soils: A case study from Eskom Nzhelele sub-station, Limpopo province, South Africa.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are worldwide environmental pollutants. PCBs were produced by Monsanto Corporation as complex mixtures for industrial uses which include dielectric fluids in capacitors and transformers in 1930 to 1977. The use of PCBs was then banned in 1977 through the discoveries of its human health and environmental effects. PCBs contaminate the environment through careless disposal practices and accidental spills or leakages from the electrical transformers and as a result end up contaminating the soil, groundwater, lakes, and rivers in many areas. PCBs contain 209 possible congeners which are chemically and physically stable and make them to persist in the natural environment. PCBs are lipophilic chemicals which mean they are soluble in fats and slightly soluble in water and readily to bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of fish, birds, animals, and humans. The main aim of this research is to elucidate the role of bacterial on biodegrading high concentration of PCBs from contaminated soil at Nzhelele Eskom substation. Bacteria will be isolated and identified from the contaminated soil, then evaluated for biodegrading abilities of PCBs on contaminated soil. And for the sake of this research three bacteria species will be isolated from the contaminated site and used in order to vary the results. These include bacterial of these genera Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas and Burkholderia. Bioremediation process is the only method or technique which is recommended for this research because bioremediation is simple to maintain, applicable over large areas, cost-effective and leads to the complete destruction of the contaminant.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Alena
http://ovarianpain.net
PRESS RELEASE – PLEASE SHARE WIDELY
“APTN BRINGS VIEWERS “PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT”
March 1, 2010 – APTN National News will premiere Perspectives on the Environment, a week dedicated to environmental issues affecting communities across Canada. The stories, which will be featured during APTN National News March 8 to March 11 at 6:00 pm ET on APTN East/MT on APTN West/CT on APTN North/ET on APTN HD, and will culminate in an hour-long special season finale edition of APTN InFocus March 12, will focus on the major issues in every region of Canada: North, South/Central, East and West.
“APTN National News is devoted to bringing viewers the stories affecting our communities,” said Sky Bridges, Director of Marketing. “People are exposed to media coverage on environmental issues daily; Perspectives on the Environment will make specific issues and realities known and truly reveal how these problems are affecting the well-being, spirit, and future of not only Aboriginal Peoples but all Peoples.”
APTN Environmental Week Outline:
North – Peel Watershed – airdate Monday March 8th:
The Yukon’s Peel Watershed is rich in minerals and other resources, but many of the people who use the Peel Watershed say it’s worth protecting from development. APTN’s Dez Loreen will look at the resources that make the land so valuable, the traditions that make the region so rich, and the debate over how best to deal with it all.
East – Boat Harbour, Nova Scotia – airdate March 9th:
The Pictou Landing First Nation has been fighting for more than 40 years to get the Nova Scotia government and industry to clean up the harbour. The waters, which at one time featured pristine beaches, are now making people sick. Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter’s new NDP government says it’s committed to solving the Boat Harbour problem. APTN’s James Hopkin talks to the people in the Mi’kmaq community and to the 10th provincial minister to deal with the file.
South/Central – Mercury Pollution airdate March 10th:
The people of the Grassy Narrows First Nation in Ontario are battling the severe health effects of mercury exposure. The emissions that polluted the watershed where they live began decades ago and the federal government says the problem has been fixed, but young people in the community are still showing the horrific symptoms of mercury poisoning. APTN’s Melissa Ridgen visited the community to find answers.
West – Deep Water Port for Super Tankers airdate March 11th:
Plans are in development for a pipeline to carry oil from the Alberta tar sands to Kitimat, British Columbia, where a deep water port will provide transport to supertankers which will carry oil to US and Pacific Rim markets. The ships will navigate near Hartley Bay First Nation, one of the country’s most environmentally conscious communities. With the nearby waters being well-known for their danger, the people of Hartley Bay fear a massively destructive oil spill. APTN’s Noemi LoPinto travels to the community to find out what happens next.
APTN InFocus One-Hour Season Finale airdate March 12th:
· On Friday, March 12th APTN National News will be pre-empted for a special one-hour edition (and season finale) of APTN InFocus. This special edition will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the four Perspectives on the Environment stories that aired during the week on APTN National News.
They will also examine the poor water quality in many Indigenous communities, 119 of which are under a Drinking Water Advisory.
The panel of experts will include:
Dr. John O’Connor, the physician who blew the whistle on unusually high incidence of cancer clusters near the Alberta oil patch (Fort McMurray).
Merrell-Ann S. Phare, Executive Director and Legal Counsel, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources.
Ramsay Hart, Canada Program Coordinator, Mining Watch Canada, to deal with environmental aspects of mining
Dr. Shirley Thompson, University of Manitoba, Assistant Professor, Natural Resources Institute, will talk about the actual biological effects of industrial pollution on the human body.
APTN National News is part of an exciting programming schedule that promotes and celebrates Canadian content across all genres. Providing news that not only informs, but inspires, APTN National News brings viewers a more in-depth look at the issues facing Aboriginal communities in Canada and around the world.
About APTN:
September 1, 2009 marked the 10-year anniversary of the launch of the first national Aboriginal television network in the world with programming by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples to share with all Canadians and viewers around the world. APTN is available in approximately 10 million Canadian households and commercial establishments with cable, direct-to-home satellite (DTH), telco-delivered and fixed wireless television service providers. The network launched its high definition channel APTNHD in the spring of 2008. APTN does not receive government funding for operations but generates revenue through subscriber fees, advertising sales and strategic partnerships. APTN broadcasts programming with 56% offered in English, 16% in French and 28% in Aboriginal languages. For program schedule or for more information, please contact APTN at (204) 947-9331 or toll-free at 1-888-278-8862, or visit the website at http://www.aptn.ca.
APTN PROPOSE « PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT »
APTN National News présente en première « Perspectives on the Environment », une semaine consacrée aux problèmes environnementaux qui frappent des collectivités de tout le Canada. Les reportages seront diffusés entre les 8 et 11 mars pendant le bulletin APTN National News de 18 h, HE, sur APTN Est / HR, sur APTN Ouest / HC sur APTN Nord / HE, sur APTN HD, et ils mèneront le 12 mars à un spécial d’une heure qui marquera la fin de la saison d’APTN InFocus. Il y sera question des principaux enjeux de chacune des régions du pays, soit le Nord, le Centre-Sud, l’Est et l’Ouest.
« APTN National News s’emploie à présenter aux téléspectateurs des sujets qui touchent nos collectivités », a déclaré Sky Bridges, directeur du marketing. « Les gens sont exposés à une couverture médiatique quotidienne des questions environnementales; « Perspectives on the Environment » fera connaître des problèmes et des réalités précis, et dévoilera comment ces problèmes nuisent au bien-être, à l’esprit et à l’avenir non seulement des peuples autochtones, mais aussi de tous les peuples. »
Grandes lignes de la Semaine de l’environnement d’APTN :
Nord – Bassin versant de la Peel – diffusé le lundi 8 mars :
Le bassin versant de la Peel, au Yukon, est riche en minéraux et en autres ressources. Toutefois, bon nombre de ses utilisateurs affirment qu’il vaut la peine de le préserver du développement. Dez Loreen, de l’équipe d’APTN, étudiera les ressources qui rendent la terre aussi précieuse, les traditions qui enrichissent autant la région, et le débat au sujet de la meilleure façon de régler la situation.
Est – Boat Harbour, Nouvelle?Écosse – diffusé le 9 mars :
La Première Nation de Pictou Landing se bat depuis plus de 40 ans pour obtenir du gouvernement de la Nouvelle?Écosse et du secteur privé qu’ils nettoient le port. Les eaux, dont les plages étaient autrefois en parfaite condition, sont aujourd’hui porteuses de maladies. Le premier ministre de la Nouvelle?Écosse, Darrell Dexter, qui est à la tête du nouveau gouvernement démocrate, dit qu’il entend régler le problème de Boat Harbour. James Hopkin, de l’équipe d’APTN, s’entretient avec les membres de la collectivité mi’kmaq et avec le 10e ministre provincial saisi du dossier.
Centre-Sud – Pollution au mercure – diffusé le 10 mars :
Les membres de la Première Nation de Grassy Narrows, en Ontario, luttent pour contrer les graves effets sur la santé de l’exposition au mercure. Les émissions ont commencé à polluer leur bassin versant il y a des décennies, et le gouvernement fédéral soutient que le problème a été réglé. Pourtant, les jeunes de la collectivité continuent d’afficher les horribles symptômes de l’empoisonnement au mercure. Melissa Ridgen, de l’équipe d’APTN, se rend dans la collectivité pour trouver des réponses.
Ouest – Port en eau profonde pour gros navires-citernes – diffusé le 11 mars :
Des projets en cours d’élaboration visent la construction d’un pipeline qui acheminera le pétrole depuis les sables bitumineux de l’Alberta jusqu’à Kitimat, en Colombie?Britannique, où un port en eau profonde permettra le transport du pétrole par gros navires-citernes vers les marchés des États-Unis et de la côte du Pacifique. Les navires passeront près de la Première Nation de Hartley Bay, une des collectivités les plus sensibilisées à l’environnement au pays. Puisque la dangerosité des eaux environnantes est bien connue, les gens de Hartley Bay craignent un déversement de pétrole très destructeur. Noemi LoPinto, de l’équipe d’APTN, visite la collectivité pour connaître la suite des choses.
Spécial d’une heure – Dernière de la saison d’APTN InFocus – diffusé le 12 mars :
· Le vendredi 12 mars, APTN National News cédera la place à une émission spéciale d’une heure (dernière de la saison) d’APTN InFocus. Cette émission spéciale fera appel à un groupe d’experts qui discutera des quatre reportages diffusés au cours de la semaine pendant le bulletin APTN National News, sous le thème « Perspectives on the Environment ». En outre, il se penchera sur la mauvaise qualité de l’eau au sein de nombreuses collectivités autochtones, dont 119 doivent observer un avis d’ébullition de l’eau.
Le groupe d’experts sera formé de :
John O’Connor, le médecin qui a dénoncé le nombre anormalement élevé de grappes de cas de cancer près des champs de pétrole de l’Alberta (Fort McMurray).
Merrell-Ann S. Phare, directrice générale et conseillère juridique, Centre autochtone de ressources environnementales.
Ramsay Hart, coordonnateur du programme Canada, Mines Alerte Canada, traitera des aspects environnementaux de l’exploitation minière.
Shirley Thompson, professeure adjointe au Natural Resources Institute de l’Université du Manitoba, parlera des effets biologiques actuels de la pollution industrielle sur le corps humain.
APTN National News s’inscrit dans une grille de programmation emballante qui privilégie et célèbre un contenu canadien de tous genres. En leur transmettant des nouvelles qui informent et inspirent, APTN National News amène les téléspectateurs à poser un regard plus approfondi sur les difficultés auxquelles les collectivités autochtones du Canada et du reste du monde sont confrontées.
À propos d’APTN
Le 1er septembre 2009 a marqué le 10e anniversaire de l’entrée en ondes d’APTN, le premier réseau national de télévision autochtone au monde. Conçues par et pour les Autochtones et au sujet de ces derniers, ses émissions s’adressent à tous les Canadiens et aux téléspectateurs du monde entier. APTN est capté dans quelque 10 millions de foyers et d’établissements commerciaux au Canada, grâce à la télévision par câble, à la diffusion directe, à la téléphonie et à la technologie sans fil. Le Réseau a inauguré son canal à haute définition APTN HD au printemps 2008. Les revenus d’APTN, qui ne reçoit aucun financement d’exploitation du gouvernement, proviennent des frais d’adhésion, de la vente de publicité et de partenariats stratégiques. Sa programmation est diffusée à 56 % en anglais, à 16 % en français et à 28 % dans des langues autochtones. Pour obtenir l’horaire de programmation ou des renseignements supplémentaires, veuillez communiquer avec APTN au 204-947-9331 ou, sans frais, au 1-888-278-8862, ou encore visitez le http://www.aptn.ca.
Paul Barnsley
Executive Producer – Investigative News
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
339 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2C3
P: 204.947.9331 ext. 327
F: 204.946.0767
C: 204.223.5614
Toll Free: 1.888.278.8862
pbarnsley@aptn.ca
http://www.aptn.ca
Canada’s 4th National Broadcaster
This email, together with any attachments, is for the exclusive and confidential use of the addressee(s). Any other distribution, use or reproduction without the sender’s prior consent is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender by email immediately and delete the message from your computer without making any copies.
Ce courriel est confidentiel et protégé. L’expéditeur ne renonce pas aux droits et obligations qui s’y rapportent. Toute diffusion, utilisation ou copie de ce message ou des renseignements qu’il contient par une personne autre que le (les) destinataire(s) désigné(s) est interdite. Si vous recevez ce courriel par erreur, veuillez m’en aviser immédiatement, par retour de courriel ou par un autre moyen.
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
Does a kid have to be fat to be at risk for diabetes? my little brother has such a poor diet, and my parents are not doing anything to change it. I’m so sick of it.
Thin people can get diabetes, and kids too. But I think being overweight really increases the risk, yeah. By a long shot. If you’re parents aren’t doing anything, maybe you could tell them to get off their butts! Or you could talk to him yourself, maybe get him to take an interest in his health.