How Does Your Culture And Culture Affect Your Diet?

A metaphor for my life story: healthy eating is my suit of armor. I always aim to expand my knowledge of the best food choices available. This knowledge is something I carry with me to every restaurant, café and market I stumble upon, and it accumulates indefinitely. Some of the healthiest meals I have eaten consist of a variety of food in every color, and I strive for eating small quantities of food from many different dishes. Ethiopian cuisine is one of my favorites partially for that very reason. I know consistently eating healthy will keep me energized, establish smart habits, and protect me later on in life. I am a strong advocate of foods like pumpkin, beans and flaxseed, as well as a leader by example. When I attend overnight programs,

For most Americans, the word poverty means insufficient access to to housing, clothing and nutritious food that meet their needs for a healthy life. A consequence of poverty is a low socioeconomic status that leads to being exposed to poor nutrition. Since food and dietary choices are influenced by income, poverty and nutrition go hand in hand. There are many important factors that threaten the nutritional status of poor people. The number one factor is not having enough money to buy food of good quality and quantity. Not having enough money can have a profound impact on the diets of low-income people. Limited financial resources may force low income people to make difficult decisions about what kind and how much food to buy. Limited

Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules, and do not take the time to plan their diets properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of eating a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life I have been fortunate. I have not had any major health problems, and have been able to consume most foods without having to worry about gaining weight. These last two years, however, I started to gain weight and have become concerned with my diet. Changing my poor eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this assignment has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously

Various regions of the world have different responses to the issue of obesity. Some cultures view obesity as necessary and attractive while others are taking drastic measures in an attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle. Although some of these drastic changes seem a bit invasive and controversial, policy makers are debating whether it is effective and even whether or not such a policy should be adopted in the United States. According to the article written by Gallagher, a culture sensitive approach should be implemented in order to tackle the issue of global obesity. A study of children of Mexican descent showed that about 32.6% of Mexican children occupying the U.S. are overweight and about 19.2% are obese (Gallagher 2010). The parents observed in this study were serving their children unhealthy foods, such as those from cans and fast food restaurants, due to price and convenience (Gallagher 2010).

I chose to address the questions what are the strengths and weaknesses of the American diet, as well as, what is distinctive about American food. I chose these questions to focus my research paper on because of the relationship between the American diet and health care. The United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, due to immigration, which is what makes it so distinctive. The diet also has many flaws including the cause for rising medical issues. I have a pre-nursing major, so diet plays a big role in the medical field. My purpose for researching the American diet is to be able to…. With the Industrial Revolution, the inventions of many new products such as processed foods, refrigerators, and fast food chains.

Financial constraints can also affect the culture on people as people have different culture and may require special dietary need. For example Muslim people need to have halal food so healthier menu need to reach people personal need. Changing their lifestyle might not meet their need so the healthy dinner

Many Americans are concern about the increment of disease and obesity caused by the limited options of healthy food, “since America is saturated with junk food advertising”(Khullar 135). However, in consequence of the absence of an American cuisine, fast food restaurants and foods high in fats offered by supermarkets, has become the first option to Americans. After all, Pollan’s argument that the lack of a stable traditional cuisine is the consequence of America’s national eating disorder and the steady national diet is reasonable since there are many factors that support his claim. For example, Mary Roach, in Liver and Opinions: Why We Eat What We Eat and Despite the Rest, claims that the food we eat is influenced by people’s cultural background; in other words, people are used to eating what their parents feed them when they were kids. “In addition, Americans have a conflict with having a stable eating habit; they tend to change their diet often”(Roach 123). Overall, Pollan’s is comprehensible while he argues that Americans do not have a stable culture of food, which causes an instability in people’s

The effects of the western diet are emphasized and seen through immigration. Many articles and studies have been done to show the effects of the westernized diet among immigrants. We often view immigrants as people coming to America seeking opportunity for themselves and their families to have better lives. While immigrants focus on providing for their family, one must wonder how often they think of the foods they and their families consume. In this section we will explore the effect of the western diet on different communities of immigrants. Batis, Bates, and Sanou, analyze the trends of obesity between Mexican immigrants and Americans, Latino & Asian Americans, and Canadian born vs. Canadian Immigrants.

Another influence on the diet is the food can be purchased. It is important that healthy food is available or you would just start to eat junk food simply because it is in the house. People who live in their own houses, which are unable to cook or shop by themselves, would need to make sure that the food and drinks that they would need to buy are available when they are needed and wanted. Lunchtime can usually be provided

My earliest memory of food is lentils and rice cooked in a pressure cooker. Lentils were cooked at least three days a week. Other days we had different vegetable curries, curd and more rice. This was what I took to school as my lunch every day. As I grew older and started caring more about my social life and people around me, I started noticing what my classmates brought for lunch from their homes. I started understanding how food reflected different cultures and communities. One day, in our

The first family interviewed consists of a husband, wife, and two elementary aged daughters who came to the U.S. from Nigeria five years ago. The marriage was arranged between the husband’s father and siblings and the wife’s parents. Because of the great sense of community in this culture, the residents of the couple’s two villages also had to agree to the marriage. It was clear to this author that family and community relationships are highly valued in this family, and great emphasis is placed on valuing the opinions of, and deferring to elders. In Nigeria, health maintenance or protection is not highly considered, yet the residents of the villages generally have excellent health with very few incidents of the chronic diseases we face in the U.S. The reason for this relates to the physical activity involved in daily life, such as walking great distances, and manual labor working in the fields. Another reason for the health of the community is the diet they eat. Each family grows fresh vegetables and fruits. Beans are a primary source of protein, and meat is a special treat that is consumed only a few times per year. Processed or sugary foods are not a part of the diet. As a matter of fact the wife mentioned

“Dietary patterns of Americans differ widely, but most Americans eat a diet that could best be described as in need of improvement”. Compared to other countries, the American diet is very different. I have first hand experienced how much different Americans eat from other countries. For a brief, but very beneficial and productive time, I lived in Barcelona, Spain with my host family. Over in Spain, they eat much more fresh, organic food. There was a lot more seafood in the average diet. The meal configuration over there is also different than ours. Lunch is the largest meal eaten every day; different than America, where dinner is the largest.

The existence of several different cultures can make it challenging for dietitians in practice. Accordingly, culture is imperative when it comes to health and nutrition counselling. Culture determines what people eat, when they eat it and why. It impacts the food choices and beliefs that they have. Moreover, aside from food, culture also influences how one understands health, and how they pursue treatment (Goody & Drago, 2009). Evidence demonstrates

In every culture, habits involving food such as, choosing, cooking, and eating, play a significant role. Eating is understood and communicated in various symbolic ways because it is never a purely biological activity. The consumption of food is always infused with meaning. People with adequate food resources use food not only as a means for survival but a means for communication. Food is symbolic throughout the world in modern human history. The Boston Tea Party was about taxes, not tea. The turkey on Thanksgivings symbolizes the celebration between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. The Great Depression is symbolized with pictures of bread lines and people selling apples.

No matter where you go in the world there is one thing everyone has in common - FOOD! There are many different influences that could affect one's food choices such as financial status, taste, availability, and culture. Your financial status determines what kind of food you can buy. If you have a low income job and little money, you might be eating more fast food and cheap meals rather than somebody who has a high income job who can afford fresh fruit and vegetables.