The Healthy Diné Nation Act (HDNA) was signed into law in 2014, mandating a 2 percent tax on all “foods of little-to-no-nutritious value” purchased in Navajo Nation retail stores. The law was designed to promote health and combat high rates of overweight and obesity—along with diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. The tax applies to high-fat baked goods and… Read more
High rates of overweight and obesity—as well as related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes—are serious public health concerns for the Navajo Nation. With more than 300,000 enrolled members in 110 chapters spread across 27,000 square miles in northeastern Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, it is one of the largest American Indian tribes in the U.S. The Indian Health Service estimates that 25,000… Read more