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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2001

Back in the old days, Indian students at boarding schools were forced to give up their language, culture and identity.

But with diabetes being more a threat today than Uncle Sam, students at the St. Peter's Indian Mission School on the Gila River Reservation in Arizona are instead pressed with a different agenda. They are require to run or walk one mile before school, eat well during the day -- which means no desserts (!) and no cookies, cake or candy at parties -- and do another mile after classes.

Plus, the 220 students also have three physical education classes a week.

It's a tough price to pay, but it's paying off. So far, none of the children have diabetes in a community that has the highest rate of type 2 in the entire world.

Get the Story:
Pima indians fight diabetes with exercise, diet (AP 10/30)