Abstract
Preventable through lifestyle, diabetes, a major disease burden in New Zealand is highly prevalent amongst Indian immigrants. “DHIRGAYU -‘Cook Walk Talk’ for long life” is a project aimed at enabling Indian immigrants in Mt.Roskill, a suburb in Auckland to adopt lifestyles which can prevent the risks for diabetes.
The program aims to create a sense of need to modify customary food preparation in the light of the risk for diabetes, to develop practices for adopting healthy lifestyles without loosing cultural identity and to initiate formation of cultural groups engaged in preventing risks for diabetes. Indians, the second largest Asian population, have a three times higher prevalence of diabetes than other New Zealanders. Energy dense food and low physical activity, the risk factors for diabetes, are prevalent in Indian immigrants combined with the least consumption of fruits and vegetables, compared to other New Zealanders.
The program builds on the cultural significance of food as an expression of identity and aims to blend with Indian traditions to be effective. As opposed to ‘information and facilitation’ based approaches, for Indians with a background of oral learning traditions, lifestyle learning occurs in closely knit social interactions. Indian mothers are enrolled through invitation to a 9-session program of 3 months duration held at the Home Economics department of Mt.Roskill Grammar School, Auckland.
Activities include discussions on diabetes, tours to supermarkets and Indian food stores, walks to parks following cooking sessions on modifying recipes, cooking competitions, Yoga sessions and occasions for sharing food with friends and families. The program will encourage participants to be program leaders for subsequent courses. A holistic model of Yoga incorporating lifestyle approaches blending with customs of living, such as food can become a means of preventing diabetes in Indian immigrants.
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