Cultural sensitivity could combat obesity epidemic
Understanding the food values of specific groups may lead to new ways of teaching healthy eating
By Sarah Arnquist
sarnquist@thetribunenews.com
Reducing the epidemic rates of childhood obesity requires changing unhealthy behaviors, but health educators must first understand the values driving those habits before they can recommend changes.
For example, someone who grew up in a low-income area where food was scarce may view extra weight as healthy, or the ability to drink soda and eat at restaurants as a status symbol. Once those beliefs are understood, nutritionists, nurses and teachers can explain why soda and fast food are not healthy options in a culturally sensitive manner, Joanne Ikeda said at a workshop Friday in San Luis Obispo.
"One of the reasons people’s diets deteriorate (after moving to the U.S.) is because they pick up the worst of American food values," said Ikeda, who co-founded UC Berkeley’s Center for Weight and Health.
About 50 local nutritionists, school nurses, preschool teachers and others attended the workshop, hosted by the UC Cooperative Extension
Office.
Childhood obesity impacts all sectors of society, but low-income and minority children are at a particularly high risk for being overweight. In San Luis Obispo County, about 27 percent of children are overweight, but Latino children are two times more likely to be overweight or obese than white children, according to the California Department of Education.
Experts cite several reasons for the disparity, including limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income neighborhoods because of high costs; limited access to safe parks for physical activity; and different cultural values.
San Luis Obispo County is less diverse than the rest of the state. About 26 percent of the county’s kindergarten-through-12th-grade students are Latino; that’s a much lower percentage than the state’s 47 percent.
But statistics show the county’s Latino population is increasing each year as the white population decreases. In 2010, more than one in five of the county’s residents will be Hispanic, according to the California Department of Finance.
"We are becoming more diverse, and if we want to serve everybody, we have to learn more about the other cultures in San Luis Obispo County," said Shirley Peterson, a UC Cooperative Extension nutritionist who organized Friday’s workshop.
Blaming parents or children for being overweight is not productive, and neither is putting children on diets, Ikeda said. The child will overeat when food is available.
A better approach, she said, is working with the entire family to develop healthy eating and exercise habits over time. Eventually, the child will grow into a healthy weight, she said.
Ikeda’s suggestions that cross all cultural lines to curb obesity in children include eliminating soda, limiting television time to two hours per day, encouraging active play and ensuring that children get enough sleep.
She empathized with mothers who have no energy to cook after a long day of work and chasing after children. But parents can make healthier choices if fast food is the only option, Ikeda said. Substitute milk for soda in the kids’ meals, split the fries, hold the mayo and select grilled items, she suggested.
Obesity and Nutrition