Obesity and diabetes — an Arctic challenge

Abstract

Many studies have shown that obesity anddiabetes are increasingly common amongindigenous peoples in the Arctic region. Ifarctic populations previously were studied tofind genes that protected against diabetes andatherosclerosis, it is likely that nowadays youwould look for predisposing genes in the samepopulations. However, the rapid increase inprevalence has paralleled the rapid change inliving conditions in these populations, whichclearly tells us that lifestyle factors rather thangenetic factors are responsible for the changingdisease pattern. It is well known that environmentaland socioeconomic factors influencean individual’s life at an early age, contributingto the development of unhealthy behaviourpatterns over the life course, which in turnpromotes obesity and diabetes.