FOR FEATURE STORY HEALTH NATIVES, 2001-06-25 (photo)

Norm Underbaggage sits in the Porcupine Clinic on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Underbaggage a Oglala Lakota, is forced to endure a monotonous routine of dialysis three times a week, and one that is becoming necessary for an increasing number of Native Americans across the rural United States. A ongoing report by the Strong Heart Study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, says that more than 50 percent of Native Americans over the age of 45 are diabetic. Researchers believe there is a very big genetic component, and it was an advantage many years ago. In the days of feast or famine Native Americans could consume large quantities of food in one sitting and their efficient bodies stored it for the lean times. Today the sedentary reservation lifestyle combined with a consistent supply of food that's high in sugar has turned what was once a positive into a deadly negative. Phot taken June 25, 2001. AC