Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 12, 1 December 2015 — MAULI OLA --HEALTH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAULI OLA --HEALTH

One of the greatest threats to the heahh of Native Hawaiians is obesity. Being overweight greatly increases the risk for other heahh problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and more. Thus, obesity is at the top of the list of priorities to address. OHA's goal is to reduce the rate of obesity among Native Hawaiians from 49.3% to 35% by 2018.

"Although the state of Hawai'i is one of the healthiest states in the nation, Hawaiians, in our own homeland, have the poorest heahh," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, Ph.D., OHA Ka Pouhana (CEO). "What that means for OHA is that we really have to tackle this situation. We have done that by collaborating with a number of heahh providers." Since 2010 OHA has given out over $6.1 million in grants to address heahh and served 16,200 Native Hawaiians. "Of that money we awarded $4 million toward decreasing chronic diseases by reducing the rate of obesity," said Lisa Watkins-Victorino, Ph.D., OHA Research Director. "We are headed in the right direction." "We wanted to create a program that was tailored for Hawai'i and the people that live here," said Aukahi Austin, Ph.D., the Executive Director and Licensed Clinical Psychologist at I Ola Lāhui. Three years ago they opened Kūlana Hawai'i, a free weight management program for HMS A members and Native Hawaiians sponsored by both HMSA and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The program provides heahh interventions in the area of obesity management that are culturally minded to treat a broad spectrum of Native Hawaiians with a BMI over 25%. "We really want to help them feel that they ean do it. This program is about self-management. It is about helping a person figure out their own motivation and what they want to change and supporting them in doing it." "Preventive healthcare is a long term investment and I think this is the time to do it," said Crabbe. "Native Hawaiians are more empowered to address their heahh and work with agencies and organizations that have the will, commitment and the support to recognize that it is a good cause to improve mauli ola, the heahh of Native Hawaiians." 71

OHA Strategic Plan R esu lts /////////////////////////////////// BY-THE-NUMBERS Mauli Ola/Health Reduce the rate of obesity among Native Hawaiians from 49.3% to 35% by 2018 • $6.1 million in health grants anel served 16,200 • Approximately 7,313 Hawaiians served in chronic diease programs • 2013 about 39% prelavance rate for Native Hawaiians

Walking is a simple way to begin battling obesity. - Photo: Courtesy