Latino Obesity Epidemic Analysis

H. Shape Up Australia is run by the Australian Government Department of Health which has a diverse set of responsibilities that can be generalised in their vision statement “Purpose: Better health and wellbeing for all Australians, now and for future generations”. Shape Up Australia provides the opportunity to ‘Partner with Shape Up’ and are working in partnership with co-branders to plan, organise and implement projects and activities that will ensure the successful implementation and continuation of Shape Up Australia.

Today in our abundance of filling grocery stores and fast food restaurants, most is comforted in knowing when and where their next meal will come from. Although, days in the past where food shortages ran rampant; sanitation was unheard of; and obesity was the last obstacle the American people thought to face have faded. Yet, in the beginning of this 21st century, we are nearing the 40% percent mark of obese adults, and the 13.4% percent back in 1962 has become a short, but a distant memory. The average adult today is heavier compared to the 1950 's, due to changes in our socioeconomic structure; sedentary lifestyle changes; and easy access to unhealthy food choices. Did we know that obesity in the early 1900 's would soon be the cause of

Despite improvements, racial minorities and people that suffer disabilities often face more health care disparities that lead to health inequalities including forced sterilization and an increase in cervical cancer. For instance, the American Indian/Alaska Native population is a prominent minority community that faces health disparities. In the United States, there is currently 567 federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribes and 2.9 million individuals identify themselves as American Indian/Alaska Native natives alone (Dugi, 2017). These individuals continue to die faster than other Americans in many categories that can be attributed with the health disparities this population endures (Dugi, 2017). American Indians/ Alaska Natives

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define the term, “Latino” or, “Hispanic” as “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin” (Arias, 2010). In the United States, Latinos have comprised 16 percent of the population, making them the largest minority. Some sources project that this proportion will increase to 30 percent by 2050 (Juckett, 2013). With such a presence of Hispanic people, it is very likely that nurses will have the opportunity to provide culturally competent care to these individuals. As such, it is important to know how the Latino culture generally regards health, illness, disease, and death.

The overconsumption of foods with high levels of sugar, oils, fats and calories has contributed to the rise of obesity in America, and food deserts are to blame as a contributing factor to the epidemic. A UCLA study found that “people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and produce vendors have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes” (Designed for disease, 2008). In 2013, it was reported that 67% of the US population is overweight or obese (Budzynska et-al, 2012). Overweight and obesity are major public health problems because having a high percentage of body fat will raise an individual’s risk of diabetes, stroke, arthritis, heart disease and some cancers (Let’s Move). In California, adults living in food deserts had a 20 percent higher prevalence of obesity and a 23 percent higher prevalence of diabetes (Designed for Disease). Thus their needs to be policies and programs emplaced to rectify the growing number of foods deserts because it is increasing the rates obesity in America’s population and children. For instance, Michelle Obama has started the Lets move! campaign to bring public attention and create programs to improve children’s nutrition across the nation. It is understood that if the obesity epidemic is not addressed now, America will have to fund numerous obesity and

One surprising health disparity amongst Latino immigrants involves integration into the American way of life. Upon arrival, most Latino immigrants are healthier than their American counterparts, a phenomenon termed the “Latino Paradox” by researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (Gordon). They noticed that when immigrants integrate into the US culture, their health starts to decline. This decline continues the longer they stay in the US. Part of this decline in health is thought to be caused by the addition of highly-processed foods to their diet that are cheap and more readily available than fresh, healthy foods. Their altered diet coupled with less physical activity leads to increased obesity rates, especially among children, and higher incidences of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer (Gordon,2014). A decrease in overall health quality coupled with the aforementioned barriers preventing access to quality healthcare means that undocumented immigrants with declining health go without primary care and may ultimately present to “Safety Net” or charity care facilities in much more acute

In chapter thirteen, Hispanic/Latino health issues, Thomas A. LaVeist examine the health status of the Hispanic/Latino population. The Hispanic and Latino group is the largest nonwhite racial and ethnic group in the U.S. The Hispanics and Latinos have overall good health but can have some trouble when it comes to accessing good quality health care. A lot of Hispanics and Latinos are uninsured. With being uninsured, it’s hard to get the proper health care that is needed. They also have language barriers that affect proper health care. Poverty and low socioeconomic statuses are the greatest health risk factor that Hispanics have to face. They have some barriers when it comes to health care, but they relatively have a better health profile.

The Latino paradox was identified by researchers in the 1960s and it notion that Latino immigrants of lower income and education has low rates of mental health issues compared to whites who has higher education and income. Relocating to a new country can be stressful, but Latino immigrants who relocate to the U.S. have better health overall than those who stayed behind. The video states that it could be due to the strong family bounds that the Latino culture has.

David Zinczenko, a nutrion and wellness editor of ABC news, portrayed a global problem to the public in a way that he could persuade them into agreeing with him that obesity is a problem that concerns all of humanity. He stated that obesity should not only concern the person suffering from it and the parents but all of humanity since it could happen to everyone. In fact, David Zinczenko himself suffered from obesity at an early age. Thankfully, he was able to turn his life around and use his situation in a way that he could help others not suffer what he did. Which is why he published the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater” in the opinion section of the New York Times and with that create knowledge of this

In my opinion, in order to understand how socioeconomic status of Hispanics affects the quality of health care, more research still needs to be conducted. This research should be a collaboration between Hispanic communities and researchers, which would build trust and potentially increase sample sizes. Future studies should also take into consideration the cultural variety of Hispanic population. For example, current federal standards require federal agencies use Hispanic or Latino term. Hispanics are identified by Spanish surname, Spanish origin, Spanish language and birthplace in a Latin American country. However, the size and composition of the group depend on which one of these identification methods is used. For example, in Mexico, Bolivia,

But in the course of interview’s it gave a sense that although some home remedies and rituals might be used, they have seen from themselves and family members they usually go to the doctor or get over the counter medicine. But one of the facts I stated early about liver disease in regards to alcohol ties into a statistic, Francis joked that her family likes to drink for a cold or for any random disease, according to US National Library Medicine and National Institute of health in Hispanics “Chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among Hispanics living in the United States” (ncni.nlm.nih.gov, 2014). This question someway tie’s into health concerns when I asked them the questions about health concerns in their population. The question of if diet effects their health was answered in the other question, both people I interviewed stressed that most of their concerns with their family and culture have to do with diet and exercise, which ties in the risk factors in Hispanics. One other things I looked up for this interview and health risk in Hispanics have to due with heart disease, In the American Hear Association they state that, “Heart disease is the No 1. Killer for all American and stroke is the leading cause of death. [But] Hispanics and Latino’s face even a

The concept of acculturation has been researched by the impact on health status and behaviors of immigrants. As a process, acculturation is present on multiple levels concerning an individual, one of which is the individual’s health. The acquisition of cultural elements of the dominant society, whether it be lifestyle practices, nutritional habits, or societal values is the defining way in which acculturation can affect health.1 The US Census Bureau has predicted that Latinos will account for a quarter of the nation’s population by 2050.2 In consideration to health, the Latino population faces various health disparities that set them apart from individuals residing in the US. These disparities include low educational attainment, high

Obesity has gained a lot of attention in the recent years especially in the 21st century. Right now in America, there is an ongoing epidemic. The cause is not by viruses or bacteria, but by human nature. There is no one way to solve this serious problem. With growing body sizes and serious medical problems associated with obesity, it is a problem that needs to be addressed and changed. A good way to maintain a healthy weight includes; not smoking, drinking in moderation; a healthy diet and proper exercise. Taking these actions will result in a more relaxed, happy and healthy self. Obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions, although diet and exercise is important in weight management it is not the only cause to obesity.

1. The day starts out with breakfast which usually starts between 6 in the morning to 10 in the morning and includes different kinds of foods such as pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, bagels and etc.

Recent surveys taken in our county have shown that Latinos, Hispanics, blacks, and Asian Americans are twice as likely to have a higher occurrence of chronic conditions and poorer health outcomes, when compared with other groups of people in our community. According to health researchers, cancer has increased by 10% higher among African Americans in the county. In addition, African Americans and Latinos are also likely to acquire diabetes as white people. This will result to an increased in 25 percent in excess cost on our direct medical costs for these group of individuals in our community owing to heath inequalities. In addition, this will result to about $ 2.5 billion dollars in losses in direct and indirect cost due to health disparities. With the population in our community projected