Six out of 10 Inuit Going Underfed, Malnourished

The high cost of healthy food and persistent poverty leaves a majority of Inuit facing increased risks of diabetes and heart disease.

A new study out of McGill University finds that six out of 10 Inuit in Canada's Arctic are either underfed or malnourished, due in large part to the lack of affordable fruits and vegetables. Grace Egeland, a McGill epidemiologist, led a team of nurses and researchers in a survey of nearly 2,000 homes in the far north and found that food insecurity affects a majority of Inuit in those communities. The results suggest that severe health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, could persist among populations far removed from health facilities equipped to treat them. Part of the problem stems from Inuit communities moving to more Western diets instead of their traditional hunting practices, but due to the high costs of getting healthier foods that far north and persistent poverty, Egeland says many aren't getting the nutrients required for a balanced diet.