Obesity And Obesity Among Hispanic And African American Communities

Healthy eating is vital to eliminating sickness and diseases in one’s life. Many people suffer from diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, and high blood pressure because of improper eating habits. To a degree, most of these eating habits are related to limited access to produce healthy foods. The increasing amount of food deserts and lack of family income contributes to African-American obesity rates, and lack of healthy choices. Ironically, these food desserts reside in communities plagued by poverty. These income restrictions also add to the problems that are part of being in a food desert.

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).

The Hispanic cultures view on obesity or having a fuller and heavier child differs from an American’s perspective. Like many cultures around the world, hefty version of themselves is a sign of wealth and opulence. This belief is passed down to their children. Hispanic and Latino mothers believe a heavier child is a good idea and it shows healthy development. “Culture can influence the perception of risk associated with obesity. Studies of Latinos have found that many mothers of obese children believe their child to be healthy and are unconcerned about their child's weight, although these same parents are likely to believe that obese children in general should be taken to a nutritionist or physician for help with weight reduction.” (Caprio

Diabetes  is a serious health condition that is a chronic illness for the African Americans. Diabetes preventions strategies in African American community can be a tricky task to contain and prevent for several reasons I will discuss in this paper.

The cultural factor is not the only thing responsible for these habits, also because many Latino Americans in a household where both parents work is sometimes easier and cheaper to just get some fatty or junk food instead of buying fruits and vegetables (Heart Association, 2015). We also have to consider the social-economical factor within the Latino American population where resources are less available than other groups in the United States and their limitation and understanding the role of maintaining a healthy lifestyle can benefit their overall health. Latino Americans are less likely to afford the resources and time to exercise, most of Latino Americans cannot afford the high cost of fitness facilities and professional trainers unlike other Americans. It is important also to highlight that the number of Latino Americans are employed in physical labor jobs which make them tired and often they lack the time and energy to engage in fitness programs that can help them minimize their risks of heart

In 2013-2014 37.7% of adults 20 years of age and older in the U.S were obese. Among racial ethnic groups white Non -Hispanics had the lowest rate of obesity at 36.4%. Black and Hispanics populations had rates of 48.4% and 42.6% nationally. The rate for Black non- Hispanic groups were 1.5 times higher than the rate for white non- Hispanic groups.("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 3).

Diabetes is a prevalent health disparity among the Latino population. Diabetes is listed as the fifth leading cause of death among the Latino population in the website for Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, in 2009. According to McBean, “the 2001 prevalence among Hispanics was significantly higher than among blacks.” (2317) In other words among the Hispanic or Latino community, there is a higher occurrence of diabetes as compared to other racial/ethnic groups such as Blacks and Native Americans. The prevalence of diabetes among Latinos is attributed to the social determinants of health such as low socioeconomic status and level of education. Further, this becomes an important public health issue when it costs the

Traditionally, the African American diet consisted of leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, and beans. However, the cooking methods, such as deep frying, the heavy use of gravy, pork fat, and butter add a large amount fat and cholesterol to an otherwise heart-healthy diet. “Soul food” with its fried chicken, fried pork chops, and corn bread have become the traditional comfort food, and there is a large significant placed in the African-American culture on community and family gatherings centered around food. Historically, African-Americans lived a highly active lifestyle that compensated for a higher than average fat content in their diet. As modern trends swing toward a more sedentary lifestyle, the direct result is heart disease rising to be the leading cause of death among African-Americans (Cowling, 2006, p8).

I am going to discuss the issue of obesity among American minorities. Elma Dieppa, cousin of Helen Casillas, still wonders if her beloved family member would be alive today if she had been more conscious of her weight contribution to her diabetes. "She refused to take care of herself by not watching what she consumed or finding time during her day to exercise," Dieppa explains, reminiscing her as the “life of the party” during family reunions. At the age of 44, Casillas unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack. Although Casillas worked in the medical field, the perception of her disease was skewed believing that she was not in fact over

Abstract: African American people have a high percentage of obesity compared to other ethnic groups. Social determinants of obesity in African American people include low socioeconomic status, limited access to affordable and healthy food, dietary behavior and food culture, lack of nutrition knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, higher exposure of marketing of less nutritious food and limited access to safe places to physically active. This research was done to see how these social determinants affect the obesity rate in African American people. Different researches were reviewed. The effects of above mentioned social determinants were observed and some recommendations are given in order to minimize the health disparities in low income African

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically during the past decade (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). Although the rise in obesity cuts across all of age groups, both genders, and all cultural and racial groups; statistics have demonstrated that Hispanic children are more likely to become obese than White or Black children in the United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (2011), childhood obesity is more prevalent among Hispanic children than in other ethnic groups, and the United States problem has been steadily increasing over the past decade. Lack of physical activity and poor nutritional habits could be the leading causes of the rise in obesity among this vulnerable population. The consequences of obesity are not trivial. Obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, serious conditions such as type II diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and psychosocial problems such as low self-esteem (Strauss, 2000). Early intervention is imperative to address the implications of childhood obesity in the United States.

Fried chicken, mash potatoes and collard greens mixed with fatback meat was my family’s favorite Sunday meal. Soul food, as it has been called, is valued by many African American families. Given the worldwide obesity epidemic that appears to be affecting most ethnic groups, there is an appreciation that the causes of obesity among African American families and others must lie in the fundamental aspects of the food supply (Capers, C et al. 2011). In my opinion, African Americans in the United Sates are more likely to be obese because there is a large number of low-income families’ and many are uninsured. According to the Office of Minority Health, African American women have the highest rates of being obese compared to other groups in

Mufti Ismael Menk an African motivational speaker recently said, “We live in a strange world where the poor walk miles to get food, but the rich walk miles to digest food.” In America, socioeconomic demographics largely determine the proximity of healthy food choices and subsequently, the health of residents in poor versus wealthy neighborhoods. As of 2012 a staggering 34.9% of American adults, are classified as obese, while another 34.1% are classified as overweight. As those numbers continue to rise, there is an obvious correlation between weight and income in the United States. Those who are obese consume significantly more fats and have drastically higher bad cholesterol levels. The rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United

Obesity is a world wide problem, however for this paper I will focus on Obesity in America and from my previous paper focus on obesity in my family, other families and what causes people to become obese, whether is financial reasons, environmental reason and genes passed on by family members. I found an article written by Ellen Granberg, she earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University in 2001. She wrote an article about obesity and weight gain, I chose her article because she doesn’t only focus on Obesity and weight gain but she also talks about African Americans and I consider myself an African American as I am from Africa an to read about obesity as it relates to African American it gives me a better understanding of why most of African Americans are obese.

All the journals reviewed confirmed that obesity is a serious problem within the Hispanic Communities and one such Journals reviewed is the Hispanic Obesity: An American crises. The Journal discussed how obesity is a serious problem within the ages 2-19 male brackets, and also underscore the ways to manage or outright eradicate the problem. Obese Children are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and other morbidities associated with obesity such as hypertension and diabetes. The journal also pointed to economic constrains which has forced many Hispanic parents to live in low income areas saturated with fast food restaurants. Also, lack of physical education and poor diets are some of the reasons why Hispanic male in the 2-19 age brackets become obese. The Journal also presented intervention