Inequality is making impoverished communities sicker, researchers said.

Four expert panelists and an audience of Athens residents discussed the idea at length at “Unnatural Causes,” a seven-part film and discussion series examining how social factors influence our health.

The third episode of “Unnatural Causes,” called “Bad Sugar,” follows the lives of the Pima and O’odham Indians, who have arguably the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes in the world.

Decades ago, the disease was unheard of on Southern Arizona reservations. But when the displacement of river water destroyed traditional farming methods, the tribes plummeted into poverty. A feeling of “rootlessness” took over among the tribe members, and so did diabetes.

“The Pima [tribe] is a microcosm of what’s happening to America,” said Claude Burnett, district health director for Northeast Georgia, including Athens-Clarke County.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or use insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases, can be managed through changes in diet, exercise and medication.

According to the film, Americans in the lower income bracket are twice as likely to get diabetes, and are “tremendously disempowered” by a lack of healthy resources in their communities.

Members of lower-income communities are more likely to acquire Type 2 diabetes due to stress. The film showed heightened stress levels can lead to a build-up of glucose in the blood, inhibiting the body from receiving insulin. Stress is a precursor to other unhealthy lifestyle habits – such as poor diet – leading to a higher risk of diabetes.

Athens-Clarke County has a 28.7 percent poverty rate, making it the fourth highest in the nation. The conversation after the film addressed problems and solutions to health issues in ACC. The audience members and panelists agreed on the need for preventive care.

Costs of diabetes soar to $132 billion in the U.S. each year, but only a small fraction of that is spent on preventive efforts.

“There’s an importance to delaying the onset of diabetes,” said Alex Kojo Anderson, assistant professor in the foods and nutrition department.

Some attendees and panelists stressed the ineffectiveness of public service announcements as a health education tool.

“We need a broader perspective. [We] don’t need to spend $6 million on public service announcements shown at 3 in the morning,” said Connie Crawley, University health educator.

Crawley said a decrease in exercise and everyday movement caused more cases of diabetes.

Panelists said community development and reaching lower-income groups through health education are solutions to promoting better health.