Racial and ethnic differences in resting metabolic rate have been found (33) but may partly be due to differences in fat-free mass or organ mass and have not been shown to account for weight gain over time within populations (34). Some groups of people are more accepting of higher body weights than others. Meal planning should take into consideration cultural, individual, and family preferences and the realities of time and money. (20-22) The most recent support comes from the Harvard School of Public Health diet and lifestyle change study: People who increased their intake of whole grains, whole fruits (not fruit juice), and vegetables over the course of the 20-year study gained less weight-0.4, 0.5, and 0.2 pounds less . The relationship between television watching and obesity may vary by race. Know when your hopes are well-founded and how to turn your deep desires into results. A team led by Dr. Christopher D. Gardner of Stanford University explored the influence of certain biological factors on the success of weight loss with low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets. If you grew up with eating habits based on ethnic, religious, or other cultural traditions, those practices may be strongly imbedded in your thinking today. A strategy of early intervention targets children at increased risk for long-term obesity and obesity-related disease at a time when treatment may prevent the complications of obesity. The percentage of Americans who do not eat meat has doubled in the past two decades. Introduction: Childhood obesity remains an unrelenting public health problem disproportionately affecting ethnic minorities. Cultural Implications Leading to a Culture of Obesity. Community planners need to design and organize communities to maximize opportunities for safe walking or cycling to school, recreational activities, and neighborhood shopping as means to encourage greater physical activity. They must also play a role in advocacy, policy setting locally and nationally, and schools to help develop a healthy environment to prevent obesity. Obesity in children is associated with severe impairments in quality of life. Alcohol has calories, and depending . This site uses cookies. Money gives you more control over your life and affords resources such as gym memberships, personal trainers, nutrition counseling, spa visits, and specially prepared foods, all of which can help with weight control. It's simple: Eat less. The allocation of time resources by individuals and households depends on SES. Acculturation (changes of original cultural patterns of one or more groups when they come into continuous contact with one another) can affect obesity by encouraging the abandonment of traditional beliefs and behaviors that minimize the risk of overweight and the adoption of beliefs and behaviors that increase the risk of overweight. 9446 [online], 2008. Powell AD, Kahn AS: Racial differences in women's desires to be thin. The True Impact Of Our Culture On Weight Cultural Influences on Childhood Obesity in Ethnic Minorities: A In Los Angeles, obesity in youth was associated with economic hardship level and park area per capita. Liese AD, DAgostino RB Jr, Hamman RF, Kilgo PD, Lawrence JM, Liu LL, Loots B, Linder B, Marcovina S, Rodriguez B, Standiford D, Williams DE: The burden of diabetes mellitus among US youth: prevalence estimates from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Alterations in national policy are in general reserved for problems which . The "calories in versus calories out" model fails to take this into account, reducing its relevance when it comes to your health. Chanoine JP, Hampl S, Jensen C, Boldrin M, Hauptman J: Effect of orlistat on weight and body composition in obese adolescents: a randomized controlled trial. In contrast, Latinas tend to prefer a thin figure for themselves but a plumper figure for their children (48). Get the help you need from a counsellor near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. In fact, some studies show that some extra body fat may be protective against death and disease, even against death from heart disease. The dynamic nature of culture and increasing pace of cultural change suggest that additional research is needed to determine whether cultural patterns of shared understandings are the causes or consequences (or both) of childhood obesity. Dabelea D, Hanson RL, Bennett PH, Roumain J, Knowler WC, Pettitt DJ: Increasing prevalence of type II diabetes in American Indian children. Diet culture is the way that society influences how we eat in an attempt to get us to conform to an ideal image. This may be a difficult concept for cultures that have food beliefs around set meals and predetermined quantities of food. First, body image development occurs in a cultural context, and ethnic/cultural groups differ in their shared understandings as to valued and disvalued body image. The integration of the family as an agent of change may be especially important in the treatment of childhood obesity. Going on a restrictive diet has two consequences: 1) Restrictive diets can initially result in quick weight loss, which lowers your metabolism, fires up hunger hormones, and lowers the hormones that make us feel full. Such findings could have important implications for personalized and predictive strategies in both the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Leslie L, Plemmons D, Monn A, Palinkas LA: Investigating ADHD treatment trajectories: listening to families stories about medication use. Health care providers should be aware of racial/ethnic and sex differences in the perception of obesity that may influence these goals. HDL cholesterol levels inversely mirror triglyceride levels. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? A new study shows how the body's metabolism slows as a way to balance the lower amount of calories that are consumed. Traditionally, most cultures have valued a certain amount of heaviness over extreme thinness. In the Harvard Geocoding Study, census tract poverty was a more powerful predictor of health outcomes than race/ethnicity (25). For instance, Hmong immigrants in California believe that only fresh food is healthy, that anything frozen or canned is not, that school meals are unhealthy for children, and that fruits and vegetables are totally different domains (51). Compared with their white counterparts, African American adolescents have greater declines in levels of physical activity with increasing age and are less likely to participate in organized sports (56). Cultural variation in the population is maintained by migration of new groups, residential segregation of groups defined by their culture and ethnicity, the maintenance of language of origin by the first and, to a lesser degree, the second generation of immigrants, and the existence of formal social organizations (religious institutions, clubs, community or family-based associations). Schwimmer JB, Burwinkle TM, Varni JW: Health-related quality of life of severely obese children and adolescents. BMC Public Health. The second medication, orlistat, is an inhibitor of fat absorption and is labeled for use in children aged 12 years and over. Impaired fasting glucose, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, was found in 13% of Mexican American adolescents, 7% of non-Hispanic white adolescents, and 4% of non-Hispanic black adolescents in the 19992002 NHANES (14). Although the government advises more consumption of fruits and vegetables, these are relatively expensive items. Similarly, there have been changes in patterns of physical activity linked to risk of obesity in both adults and children worldwide, including increased use of motorized transport, fewer opportunities for recreational physical activity, and increased sedentary recreation (44). Posted May 12, 2016 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Some common food preparation methods, such as frying, may lead to high-calorie intake. Lumeng JC, Appugliese D, Cabral HJ, Bradley RH, Zuckerman B: Neighborhood safety and overweight status in children. Most interventions have used only health education, awareness, and behavior change approaches to improve individual and small-group behaviors, with minimal long-term success. How Photos and Social Media Posts Wound Distanced Family Members, Obesity paradox in the course of cerebrovascular disease. For instance, exposure to food-related television advertising was found to be 60% greater among African American children, with fast food as the most frequent category (54). Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. For instance, beliefs relating the normative and pragmatic rules for engaging in health-promoting behavior (diet and exercise) or leisure activity (watching television or playing video games) will change as individual members of an ethnic group experience and come to value innovative practices, while losing interest in and thereby disvaluing traditional practices. Because black girls undergo pubertal maturation earlier on average than white girls, differences in pubertal maturation stage can account for some racial differences in adolescent obesity. The types of foods you choose, how you prepare them, the seasonings you add, when you eat, how much you eat, and how much you think you should weigh, can all have great social meaning if you strongly identify with your culture. The socio-ecological framework. Powell LM, Szczypka G, Chaloupka FJ: Adolescent exposure to food advertising on television. Pham KL, Harrison GG, Kagawa-Singer M: Perceptions of diet and physical activity among California Hmong adults and youths. Culture is believed to contribute to disparities in childhood obesity in numerous ways. An SES gradient for self-reported health status for adults has been observed within each racial and ethnic group, while differences by race/ethnicity within each socioeconomic stratum were less pronounced (18). A large 1-year randomized controlled trial was conducted with orlistat in moderately to severely obese adolescents, leading to a net decrease in BMI of only 0.86 kg/m2 compared with placebo (72). Factors Affecting Weight & Health What factors affect weight and health? As of 2010, when nationwide surveys were completed, 75 percent of adults (3 out of every 4) weighed in as overweight, obese, or extremely obese. Cutler DM, Glaeser EL, Shapiro JM: Why have Americans become more obese? reports none. Children who watch an excess of television are exposed to advertisements for sweetened drinks, fast food restaurants, and high-caloric snacks. Susan McQuillan is a food, health, and lifestyle writer. More than one-third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or obese. Finally, culture may influence the manner in which the risk for obesity varies by social status. Epstein LH, Valoski A, Wing RR, McCurley J: Ten-year follow-up of behavioral, family-based treatment for obese children. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2000 the prevalence of obesity was 19% of non-Hispanic black children and 20% of Mexican American children, compared with 11% of non-Hispanic white children. The prevalence of obesity has increased markedly in U.S. children and adolescents in the past 30 years. Susan McQuillan is a food, health, and lifestyle writer. The types of foods you choose, how you prepare them, the seasonings you add, when you eat, how much you eat, and how much you think you should weigh, can all have great social meaning if you strongly identify with your culture. But social ideals change with time and thinness has remained in style, especially in the United States and Europe. It has increased in both sexes and in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Culture can influence the utilization of health services, affecting the likelihood that childhood obesity can be prevented or effectively treated in specific ethnic groups. Palinkas LA, Colcord CL: Health risks among enlisted males in the U.S. Navy: race and ethnicity as correlates of disease incidence. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts. Braveman PA, Cubbin C, Egerter S, Chideya, Marchi KS, Metzler M, Posner P: Socioeconomic status in health research. A thrifty genotype may confer an advantage in an energy-poor environment, which would become disadvantageous in an energy-dense environment because it would predispose to increased accumulation of adipose tissue. Culture, unlike instinct, is learned; is distributed within a group in that not everyone possesses the same knowledge, attitudes, or practices; enables us to communicate with one another and behave in ways that are mutually interpretable; and exists in a social setting. Breastfeeding should be encouraged. Following presentations by invited speakers and in-depth discussions, a seven-member panel of experts in pediatric endocrinology, cardiology, gastroenterology, nutrition, epidemiology, and anthropology developed this consensus statement on the influence of race, ethnicity, and culture on childhood obesity, addressing the following questions: What are the prevalence, severity, and consequences of childhood obesity across race/ethnicity in the U.S.? Obesity-related risk factors and diseases formerly seen only in adults are increasingly being recognized in obese adolescents and even younger children. However, the evidence is primarily derived from white, middle- class, mildly to moderately obese children with intact families. Lower-cost foods make up a greater proportion of the diet of lower-income individuals (23). | In summary, there is circumstantial evidence for biological differences in obesity development and the occurrence of comorbidities by race/ethnicity; however, the relationships are far from definitive. To foster sustainable behaviors, the environments and policies that promote sedentary activities and unhealthy eating must also be addressed. Side effects of this drug include increased heart rate and blood pressure. Weight loss, rather than health gains, were the measure of success, and the girls were assessed against the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's "ideal weight" charts of 1960, rather than by individual clinical scrutiny incorporating attention to body type. Knowing the child's place of residence can provide additional insight into the complex relationships between social and economic resources and obesity prevalence. reports none. Area-based SES measures, including poverty levels, property taxes, and house values, provide a more objective way to assess the wealth or the relative deprivation of a neighborhood (25). (59) found that both obese African American girls and their female caregivers were unaware of the potential health consequences associated with their current body size. There have been dramatic changes in the nutrition and physical activity habits of U.S. children, along with changes in demographics and societal norms, concurrent with the increase in childhood obesity prevalence. The positive role of the NSLP is compromised by other foods that schools now make available to students. has served on advisory boards of Lifescan, NovoNordisk, Medtronic Minimed, Nutrition 21, Clinical Products, Nestle, Amylin, Abbott, Kinexium, McNeil Nutritionals, Insulet, Health Maintenance Corporation, and DLife; has received research support from Medtronic Minimed, Lifescan, Johnson & Johnson, Nutrition 21, Eli Lilly, Glaxo Smithkline, and Pfizer; is a stockholder in Amylin, Diabetes Prevention Source, Clinical Products, Mannkind, and Insulet; and has family members who are principle shareholders of Diabetes Prevention Source. Many researchers have placed the origin of the childhood obesity epidemic at the beginning of the 1980s. Studies expanding such interventions to African American and Hispanic children are ongoing. Search for other works by this author on: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC Growth Charts: U.S. [online]. Socioeconomic position and social class permeate every aspect of life and have a cumulative (sometimes generational) effect on health status throughout the life cycle. As with nutrition, children model the types of physical activity undertaken by their parents; thus, a parent in a culture that views rest after a long workday as more healthy than exercise is less likely to have children who understand the importance of physical activity for health and well-being (55). What are the implications of race/ethnicity on the treatment of childhood obesity? When recommending a physical activity program, it is important to take into account cultural and sex preferences. 3. Consider cultural, individual, and family preferences and the realities of time and money in advice about meal planning. Luke A, Dugas L, Kramer H: Ethnicity, energy expenditure and obesity: are the observed black/white differences meaningful? To complicate matters, data on education and income tend to be treated as confounding factors in analyses and not as independent variables of interest. Causal relations between SES factors and obesity rates cannot be convincingly inferred from cross-sectional studies. Whereas fats and sweets cost only 30% more than 20 years ago, the cost of fresh produce has increased more than 100%. Should You Take Intermittent Breaks From Digital Devices? . Stovitz SD, Steffen LM, Boostrom A: Participation in physical activity among normal- and overweight Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adolescents. Just as your personal culture affects your attitude about food and eating, cultural values and norms affect how you think about fatness and thinness. The list goes on and on. But the truth is, excess weight is not a health problem for everyone. In Pima Indians, 2.2% of 10- to 14-year-olds and 5% of 15- to 19-year-olds had type 2 diabetes in the 1990s, an increase from none in the younger group and <1% in the older group 20 years earlier (13). One definition of social stratification is unequal distribution of privileges among population subgroups. L.A.P. Bilingual school-age children from immigrant Mexican households serve as agents of dietary acculturation by rejecting the lower-calorie traditional foods prepared at home and favoring the higher-calorie foods, beverages, and snacks they consume at school or see advertised on television (50) and may resist efforts by their parents to restrict the availability of foods from the mainstream culture. For many people, culture has an even greater influence than biology on eating habits and attitudes toward food and body weight. 1). Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity These twin indexes of parental education and household income levels, however, fail to fully convey the complexities of SES and social class. Public health strategies for prevention of childhood obesity must address these factors along with other disparities. More objective ways to assess SES, such as relying more on area-based measures, as shown in online appendix Table 2 (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc08-9024), and better analytical methods are needed to evaluate the influence of complex SES variables on diseases such as childhood obesity. This is true for men and women.4 While Asian American men and women have the lowest rates of obesity,4 they can still be at risk of diseases associated with obesity if they carry a lot of unhealthy fat in their abdomeneven when their body mass index (BMI) is lower.5. Triglycerides are highest in obese Mexican Americans and lowest in obese African American children. The construct of culture may represent in part adaptation to limited options or the prevailing economic conditions. It is important to promote self-regulation, allowing young children to determine their intake, which may naturally vary from meal to meal and day to day. The weight control evidence is stronger for whole grains than it is for fruits and vegetables. Many people are financially stressed in ways that affect their eating habits. The risk of childhood obesity due to an obesogenic environment is not culture-specific, rather income related, affecting children from low-income families to a greater degree. Race/ethnicity and SES influence the timing of pregnancy, number of pregnancies, interval between pregnancies, and risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Given that women typically assume primary responsibility for the care, feeding, and education of children, including the transmission of shared cultural understandings, the beliefs that women possess with respect to their own body image have implications for their perception of and response to the body image of their children. The panel's consensus recommendations for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, accounting for the influence of race, culture, and ethnicity, are summarized in Table 1. Culture greatly determines both how you eat and how. There is also a difference between being overweight and obese, and that difference, along with any implications for health, has yet to be fully explored. Minority women, particularly those who are obese, do not lose weight between pregnancies, gain excessive weight during subsequent pregnancies, and are at increased risk for GDM. Culture influences child-feeding practices in terms of beliefs, values, and behaviors related to different foods (43). Berkowitz RI, Fujioka K, Daniels SR, Hoppin AG, Owen S, Perry AC, Sothern MS, Renz CL, Pirner MA, Walch JK, Jasinsky O, Hewkin AC, Blakesley VA; Sibutramine Adolescent Study Group: Effects of sibutramine treatment in obese adolescents: a randomized trial. Breastfeeding may decrease the incidence of obesity in childhood as well as the weight of the nursing mother. Some racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have obesity. Although physical activity is obviously important in energy balance, intensive physical activity interventions in obese children have produced only small changes in body weight, with somewhat greater changes in metabolic and cardiovascular indexes (67). For instance, the increasing proportion of the U.S. population describing their race as mixed or other, as well as changes in ethnic self-identification across generations and occasionally even within the same generation, makes it difficult to assign individuals to invariant categories of race or ethnicity. Allen ML, Elliott MN, Morales LS, Diamant AL, Hambarsoomian K, Schuster MA: Adolescent participation in preventive health behaviors, physical activity, and nutrition: differences across immigrant generations for Asians and Latinos compared with Whites. Prevalence and change of central obesity among US Asian adults: NHANES 20112014. Cultural factors related to the obesity epidemic - ScienceDirect The manner in which communities are organized, with regard to both physical and social aspects, may play a role in the prevention of childhood obesity. Birch LL, Fisher JO: Mothers child-feeding practices influence daughters eating and weight. The significant rise in obesity in children has been accompanied by an increase in the severity of obesity, and there are differences in the degree of obesity among racial groups. This review describes our current understanding of the biological, behavioral, and environmental . Overweight and Obesity Statistics. No mechanistic explanation was provided for this finding. But the truth is, excess weight is not a health problem for everyone. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Is It a Mistake to Exercise for Weight Loss? Men usually build up fat in their abdomen or belly. Recognizing and Resisting Diet Culture | National Eating Disorders Illness is shaped by cultural factors governing perception, labeling, explanation, and valuation of the discomforting experiences (39). 10 Reasons Being Single Can Be an Excellent Option, How to Reduce Your Self-Esteem in 8 Easy Steps. If youre like most people, your job has more of an effect on your activity level, especially if you are sitting or standing still throughout most of your workday, and dont have the flexibility to go out to a gym or even take a full lunch hour and use it to take a walk. Research shows several health benefits of consuming quinoa.