Type II Diabetes and the Native Hawaiian Population: Surveying College Student Perspectives on the Effects of Diet and Exercise on Type II Diabetes

The prevalence of type II diabetes in Hawai?i is higher than the prevalence in the United States. The mortality rate of Native Hawaiians due to type II diabetes is also more than double that of non-Hawaiians in Hawai?i (Aitaoto, 2009). There are many factors that lead to type II diabetes including poor diet, no recognition of Native Hawaiians as a unique population, low physical activity, genetics, low socioeconomic status, industrialization of the food industry, among other factors. However, this paper will focus on diet and lack of physical activity as a leading risk factor of type II diabetes in the Native Hawaiian population. Both poor diet and lack of physical activity are risk factors for type II diabetes for all ethnic populations, however, the high prevalence of type II diabetes has lead to the implementation of intervention programs in Hawai?i. A poor diet and a lack of physical activity have lead to the prevalence of type II diabetes in the Native Hawaiian population