Nutrition in American Indian health: past, present, and future.

In addition to benefiting from public health programs for all Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives are eligible for health services from the Indian Health Service (IHS), U.S. Public Health Service. Indian Health Service provides comprehensive health services, including nutrition and dietetics, to American Indians and Alaska Natives living on or near federal Indian reservations or in traditional Indian territory, such as Oklahoma and Alaska. Dramatic improvements have occurred in the health of native Americans since IHS was transferred to the Public Health Service in 1955. Infant mortality rate, maternal deaths, and deaths related to infectious diseases have all decreased. Chronic diseases are now major causes of death. Nutritional factors contribute to at least 4 of the 10 leading causes of American Indian and Alaska Native deaths--heart disease, cancer, cirrhosis, and diabetes--and to the prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypertension, and dental caries. There is still incomplete information on nutritional status and present dietary patterns, nutritive values of native foods, and nutrition education knowledge of the population. Priority nutrition objectives have been developed to address those issues.