Summary: Effects Of Immigration On Weight Change And Diet

Poor nutrition in the United States is indeed a scary factor that continues to lead our citizens to chronic healthcare conditions. The article notes “Health People 2020 states the most affected are non-White, Hispanic adult populations are disproportionately affected by obesity” (Kaiser Foundation Hospital, 2014, p. 6)

As with other cultures, diet is a major factor that can cause any health issue. Culture is

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

Native Americans’ bodies could not handle the extra fat and sugar in their diet. This, coupled with a decrease in intense exercise, increased obesity and brought on the rise of diabetes. The sudden lack of exercise resulted in a significant weight increase in the Native American community. Indians were used to roaming the countryside. They had to follow the buffalo or move to warmer weather. Now, they were put into permanent homes and bought their food. This created an overweight, obese group of people. Studies estimated that the overall occurrence of obesity among Native Americans was 13.7 percent for men and 16.5 percent for women. These are higher than the United States’ rates of 9.1 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively. It is reported that the United States spends $93 billion a year on preventable obesity- related illnesses and diseases.

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.

Understanding the effects of poor and efficient eating habits and how to manage your health is crucial to the existence of a healthy population in the America. To understand these approaches, one has to understand some of the poor eating habits witnessed on most people in the United States. Paula (2015) states that only ten percent of the entire American population follow a daily diet consistent with the federal nutrient recommendations. Other than following the required nutrition, most people prefer meals rich in trans-fats, salt, saturated fat, and sugar and ignore fruits, vegetables, and fiber. The increased preference of poor nutrition contributes a total of four out of six in

In one of few studies to include Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino youth in addition to blacks and whites in examining risk factors associated with overweight, Haas et al. research showed black or Latino children aged 6-11 years of age having a greater likelihood of being overweight compared with their white counterparts . In addition, Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino adolescents aged 12-17 years old were significantly more likely than Whites to be overweight. Interestingly, this study compared factors affecting children 6-11 years old with adolescents 12-17 years of age and found that overweight children were more closely linked to family circumstances, such as parental involvement, while overweight in adolescents can

Food insecurity is defined as “the lack of access to enough food to ensure adequate nutrition.”1 The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that 14.6% of US households were food insecure during at least some portion of 2008 (up 11.1% from 2007), the highest levels recorded since monitoring began in 1995.2 Food insecurity is a concern of under consumption and obesity is a disease of over consumption, yet both outcomes may coexist, seemingly incongruously, within the same household.2 The most popular explanation is that low-cost, energy-dense foods linked to obesity are favored by financially constrained households, who are the most likely to be food insecure.2 Another theory, focusing on environmental context net of individual circumstance, argues that obesity and insecurity are both symptoms of malnutrition, occurring in neighborhoods where nutritious foods are unavailable or unaffordable.2 A separate literature researches environmental roles in poor nutritional outcomes, recent studies link obesity as well as atherosclerosis and diabetes to the food environment, the local context of available food items.2 The theory is that local inaccessibility to healthy foods influences diet composition, a claim supported by evidence.2 Especially in poorer neighborhoods, food options are often limited to fast food restaurants, convenience stores, or grocery stores more poorly stocked both in

According to Adelle Davis “statistics of illness in the United States are too depressing to examine”. Illnesses that were never even heard of a century ago are striking out population harder than ever. What is worse is these diseases and illnesses have no limits; they strike infants, children and teenagers just as harshly as they do adults and the elderly. The most common disease is obesity and the alarming part is that children are now prone to obesity starting at just three years of age. Based on research done in 2002, obesity rates are rising amongst children younger than ten years old in the United States of America due to low income rates and ethnicity. According to this research, poor income leads to poor meal and entertainment decisions, these two decisions are highly balanced by the culture individuals that then carry on to their children. Our community is largely populated by Hispanics, and Nichman found that “The prevalence of obesity among Hispanic American populations is generally greater than among white populations in the United States”. Not only is our El Paso population highly vulnerable to these diseases because of the culture we carry, but we also house areas of high poverty. Our children are at high risk of this deadly disease, through seemingly harmless characteristics such as culture and economic status.

In the article “The Health Toll of Immigration” by Sabrina Tavernise explains that immigrants of Hispanic heritage live longer than American born persons of Hispanic heritage. Many causes of this have been suspected such as smoking and drinking but ultimately it is the American diet of fast food that seems to be the reason for poor health (Tavernise 2013). Fast food was a luxury to some and to others it was a money saver. Fast food is fast and cheap making it an easy stop for many families on the run. The statistic is that “Hispanic immigrants live 2.9 years longer than American-born Hispanics” (Tavernise 2013). America’s fast food diet has also been moving into Mexico. When it comes to obesity “Hispanic adults are also 14 percent more likely to be obese…for

In the United States of America, there is a current epidemic of obesity throughout the country. Every age group is affected by this unfortunate trend. Even children are not immune to the national obesity problem. For a country that has an abundance of job opportunities, educational opportunities, and financial opportunities, it is a sad statement of fact that far too many people are tipping the scales in unhealthy ways. It is a fact that a disproportionate amount of the nation's citizens are dangerously overweight. If the country as a whole wishes to reverse this disparaging state of affairs, then the first thing to do is to determine why so large a percentage of the population is suffering in this way. People who are suffering from obesity or who are dangerously overweight encounter a myriad of health concerns both physically and mentally. There has even been proved a correlation between obesity and lower life expectancy (Flicker 2010). Two of the many reasons why the Americans have such a problem with obesity is the fact that there the diets of most Americans are heavily based on corn or corn-based products and that Americans lead a more sedentary and inactive lifestyle than people in other nations.

Various reports and research have attested to this phenomena (Food Research Action Center, 2015). Both hunger and obesity were defined using USDA terminology: Low food insecurity- Households reduced the quality, variety, and desirability of their diets, but the quantity of food intake and normal eating patterns were not substantially disrupted. High food insecurity- At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food (USDA, 2006). Obesity, as having a body mass index over 30, results from factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and access to food (USDA, National Institute of Food and Nutrition, 2015). The target group was identified as school aged

Why is it Sociological & Social? Obesity has become a large and dark reality in United States. For someone who does not have sociological imagination being overweight is the result of bad personal choices or genetic predisposition. (Crosnoe) Cultural beliefs and practices related to food and feeding vary among ethnic groups, and these differences may contribute to different patterns of obesity in children and youth, related to their ethnicity. As described in the epidemiological overview show higher than average obesity prevalence in non-Hispanic, black and Mexican American children compared to non-Hispanic white children at most ages. In boys excess obesity ages 2 through 11 compared to girls ages 6 through 19. (Kumanyika 61-70)

“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.

Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It published by Gary Taubes is a controversial 217 page look at the obesity epidemic plaguing the world. Taubes spends the entirety of the report analyzing the common myths of weight gain and weight loss. Taubes himself is a correspondent to Science magazine, has had works published in the New York Times, and is an investigator of health policy research at the University of California’s School of Public Health.