Over the last century, many Native American groups have experienced social and environmental changes and faced a variety of contemporary issues. Although Native Americans may be associated with the past due to popular culture, many different American Indian groups are greatly influenced by modern issues. For example, although type II diabetes is a major problem in many communities, it disproportionately affects Native Americans. Since the 20th century, Native American groups have been affected by diabetes and are currently one of the populations at particularly high risk of developing the disease. American Indian and Alaska Native adults are 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites, while youth ages 10 to 19 are 9 times more likely to be diagnosed of diabetes (“Diabetes…”, 2012). Incidence and prevalence rates are significantly elevated in Native American populations. In fact, the Pima Indians of Arizona have the highest prevalence of type II diabetes of any population in the world (Acton et al., 2002). Approximately half of adult Pima Indians have type II diabetes and approximately 95% of individuals with diabetes are overweight (“Obesity…”, 2002). This high prevalence rate is due to a variety of factors, including genetics and changes in lifestyle habits from more traditional to more typically Western. Therefore, the high rate of diabetes among Pima Indians can be attributed to social and environmental factors that have emerged as a problem relatively recently and can hopefully be reduced with preventative intervention programs. First, type II diabetes is a chronic disease and the most common form of diabetes, which is a disease in... middle of paper... because it reflects the high rate of the disease among most Native American groups , which can be prevented with a series of health interventions. Over the past decade, the shift from a more traditional to a more Western lifestyle has led Pima Indians to adapt a more sedentary lifestyle with a higher-fat diet. This has led to an increase in obesity and diabetes among this population. While genetics play a role in the high prevalence rate among Pima Indians, social and environmental factors may play a larger role in the prevalence of the disease. Therefore, although diabetes disproportionately affects large numbers of Native Americans, it is still a preventable disease. With new grants provided by the CDC, programs focused on disease prevention can help stop rising prevalence rates among the Pima and other Native American groups.