Thread: Report: American diet making immigrants fat

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJ ... 090806.htm

September 08, 2006

Report: American diet making immigrants fat

By BRITTNEY BOOTH
Staff Writer

DELAND -- Three times a week Janet Ortega, 7, said she eats food from McDonald's or Burger King. Otherwise, it's canned soup. Bring up vegetables and she scrunches up her nose.


"I hate them," she said. "I love pizza and bread."

But the DeLand first-grader, who is Mexican-American, seems to already realize the effects. She pats her round tummy and said her younger brothers "are like me."

Nutritional experts warn that diets like the one Ortega described are unhealthy for all children, but may be contributing to a frightening trend among Hispanic youth.

While obesity is a growing problem for all Americans, Hispanic children are more likely to be overweight and obese than their white and black counterparts, according to a recent report from the National Council of La Raza, a nonprofit Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. Nearly 17 percent of Hispanic high school students are overweight, compared to 12 percent of whites and 16 percent of black students, the report states.

"It's a known fact that Hispanic children in general are obese," said Josephine Mercado, the director of Hispanic Health Initiatives, a Casselberry nonprofit that gives nutritional education classes and works for diabetes prevention.

Children of immigrant parents might consume a lot of fast food and sweets because their parents want to give them the things they couldn't have as a child, she said. Working mothers often opt to feed their children what's fast and cheap, but not particularly healthy. Also there's a lack of nutritional education materials in Spanish or that's tailored to Hispanics, Mercado said.

Obesity has particularly hit Mexican-American youth, the United States' largest population of Hispanics. Among Mexican-American teens ages 12 to 19, almost 44 percent are overweight. Almost 24 percent of Mexican-American children ages 6 to 11 are obese, while obesity affects 20 percent of black children and 12 percent of white children, according to the La Raza report.

In Pierson, home to a large Mexican immigrant population, community leaders say they're aware of the problem.

Ana Bolanos, president of Seville's Alianza de Mujeres Activas or Alliance of Active Women, said the advocacy group plans to invite local residents to educational meetings on nutrition.

"We are used to eating in Mexico. The food here has more fat, things that make you gain weight," Bolanos said.

Two of her four children are obese, she said, although she tries to feed them healthy food and encourage exercise. Still, in Mexico, Bolanos said people walk to the butcher for fresh meat and market for vegetables, and fast food is not as widely available.

"It's not the American culture, but we are not assimilated to the change ," Bolanos said.

But the American diet is the problem, said Tonia Marchena, senior public health nutritionist with the Florida Department of Health.

"It's not the traditional food that is causing them to gain weight, it's American food," she said. "They are coming into contact with different types of food and high-sugar drinks."

Marchena often advises her Hispanic clients to add more fruits and vegetables to their families' diets, and switch from white to brown rice. She also provides education at health fairs and Hispanic events in DeLand and Pierson.

Obesity isn't experts' only concern. The National Diabetes Education Program predicts that nearly half of Hispanic children born in 2000 will develop diabetes during their lifetime.

At the Pierson Medical Center, a federally funded clinic, Dr. April Ferguson sees obese children who are at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure. Ferguson tells her patients to increase their exercise, cut back on sugar and soda, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

"I'm seeing (diabetes and high blood pressure) younger," she said. "They tend to get these diseases earlier for being heavier."

Mercado, the Hispanic Health Initiatives director, said she has seen Latino children as young as 9 years old with Type 2 Diabetes. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans have the highest rates of diabetes among Hispanics, she said.

Type 1 diabetes develops most often in young people but can appear in adults. Type 2 diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older adults but can appear in young people, according to the American Diabetes Association.

She blames low exercise rates and diets high in carbohydrates. For example, Puerto Ricans tend to incorporate lots of root vegetables such as yuccas, yams and malangas in their diets. Mexican meals often include rice, beans and tortillas. Without exercise, eating too many carbohydrates can lead to weight gain.

As she worked out at the Deltona YMCA recently, Amanda Olmeda, 14, of Deltona, already has Type 1 or juvenile diabetes. Her Puerto Rican family eats rice and beans every night, and Olmeda knows she needs to watch her diet so she doesn't gain weight.

"All my grandparents have Type 2 diabetes," she said.

Parents have the power to ensure their children eat balanced diets and exercise, nutritionists say.

Yoselyn Rodriguez, 32, arrived in New York City from Honduras at age 12 and ate her first American meal at McDonald's. Many more fast food meals followed, along with TV dinners during her teen years. Her working mother tried to make home-cooked meals when she could, filled with lots of carbohydrates like rice and beans.

As a result, Rodriguez grew up struggling with her weight and developed gestational diabetes during her second pregnancy.

But she doesn't want her children to face the same health problems. She feeds her daughter Alexandra, 9, string beans to snack on and vegetables at dinner.

"I've made it a point to educate her a lot better," said Rodriguez, the community program director for the Deltona YMCA's Latino Achievers Program. "She eats very healthy."

brittney.booth@news-jrnl.com

Smart Eating:

Traditional Hispanic diets can be very healthy, nutritionists say. They advise clients to:

· Add fresh fruits and green vegetables to meals.

· Switch from white to brown rice.

· Limit sugary drinks such as soda and juice.

· Provide your family a variety of foods at every meal, instead of loading up on carbohydrates such as yuccas, yams, malangas, potatoes and plantains.

-- SOURCE: News-Journal research

Well, then, if they don't like what American food they should just go back to Mexico or wherever. Or hey, don't go to McD's all the time.

Another lovely aspect to consider when thinking about the future of the U.S.:


Alzheimer's Symptoms Show up to Five Years Early
Latino individuals can show symptoms of Alzheimer's up to five years earlier than Whites. Researchers across the East and West of the United States examined the profiles of Latino patients by speaking to caregivers about the time of symptom onset and by examining patients using the Mini Mental State Examination. Participants in the study were being treated at medical centers specializing in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers are unable to explain the variation but they did note several factors believed to contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's. Amongst these were:

fewer years of formal education: 7.3 years, versus 11.3 years for the Whites.
higher levels of blood pressure.
higher levels of diabetes.
Hispanics are disproportionately represented in the older age groups who are most at risk of Alzheimer's.

So just think - it will be from the cradle to the grave care from the government. Our own elderly are struggling with Alzheimer's, but given the tendency for Hispanics to have diabetes, they are more likely to need nursing home care in the elder years. And if they're granted citizenship, they'll be able to bring in their extended families. There's no way the middle class will survive this invasion!!!!

They had an article in the Orlando paper a few weeks back that said the diet Latinos were used to eating is what was making them fat. As well as diabetes and a host of other medical issues. Then a couple of days ago there was a story that said "globally" everyone was fat and it was because we were "evolving".

How about it's a global experiment with frankenfood? The rich are the only ones who can afford all the organic fruits and vegetables and only the cattle specially raised without the hormones etc. and the free roaming chicken eggs etc. The rest are forced to eat what we can afford not necessarily whats the BEST.

Fat foods are one of the politically correct subjects nowadays. What about burritos and refried beans, churros, lots of cheese, etc. Please......this isn't newsworthy.

This article contradicts the one the LA Times ran a little over a week ago, and another by the CDC earlier in the year saying how much healthier Latinos were compared to other ethnic groups, or American citizens. These health articles are all over the map on the health of Latinos. I get the impression this one had the agenda of blaming us for thier problems. How long before we hear of a lawsuit suing the fast food industry for making them obese?


Poor Patients Who Are Healthy?
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=39197

CDC says immigrants healthier than natives
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=18218

Perceived racism leads to depression among Hispanics
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=17905

Oh geez...so now they're complaining about the food???

There's a Mexican restaurant or taco stand on every corner in San Diego. What more do they want? I mean, surely that greasy carne asada and all that cheese, guacamole and sour cream is healthier for them than, say, a cheeserburger and fries?

Give me a break....

Where's the self-discipline and personal responsiblity?

American taxpayers should provide each hispanic child with a personal trainer and a membership in a health club with spanish speaking staff.
Mickey Ds should not let these future voters super size.
each taco truck should be equiped with a treadmill.

With the price of gas most Americans are cutting back on fast foods,
without hispanic families Burger Kings employees might have to understand english.

Great.
Our lack of border enforcement is flooding the country with unskilled, undereducated, people whose apathy extends to their own children.
Don't these people value 'anything'?