The Indigenous Population Of Australia

The Indigenous Population of Australia existed before the European colonisation of the country, they are known as Aboriginals, and Torres Strait Islanders. Unfortunately, due to the colonisation and westernisation of Australia, the indigenous population has suffered. Presently a large portion of the indigenous population in Australia has developed a poor socioeconomic status, there are fewer opportunities for them to work, it is not uncommon for indigenous people to have poor nutrition, they have a higher rate of certain chronic diseases than European descendants for example diabetes, renal failure and heart disease, and until relatively recent years they did not have the same rights as those Australians of other races, for example Aboriginals

Prior to 1923 when the first recorded case of diabetes was diagnosed in an Aboriginal man, the Indigenous population of Australia had been considered healthy and unlikely to suffer from the metabolic conditions seen in western civilisations. The high energy diet and sedentary lifestyle of Western Civilisation’s has been adopted by a large amount of Indigenous Australians and it is a lifestyle that Indigenous people are not adapted to. This caused a huge spike in obesity and diabetes in Indigenous Australians (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2007). For example diabetes related death rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is three times as high as non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015). The most relevant and statistically successful disease prevention activities available through the Australian Government and Australian Indigenous Health Information Network are the ‘Food and Health Communication Across Cultures’ initiative which aids Indigenous people and families to help “communities to explore and focus on health promoting activities that are culturally integrated for Indigenous knowledge and beliefs” (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2014) and other initiatives like “Shape Up Australia” which is for all

These policies and initiatives come in different forms depending on the target audience, for the general public we things like advertisements on television and flyers, “Quit for You, Quit for Two” anti-smoking ads, the “Five Star Health Rating” that is seen in most supermarkets now, and the “Draw The Line” campaign to reduce sedentary lifestyle choices. These advertisements come from more detailed policies that are developed from reports that are aimed at the government groups that help to implement action like the ‘Indigenous Australians Health Programme (Chronic Disease Activities)’ (The Australian Government Department of Health, 2014). The ‘Indigenous Australians Health Programme’ report addresses the “key areas of weakness within health care” and aims to support primary health care in the prevention of health issues within the Indigenous community by health education and supporting alteration of entrenched poor lifestyle