By Kara D. Ryan, Senior Research Analyst, Health Policy Project, NCLR
When we talk about healthy eating in this country, particularly in light of a child obesity rate that has tripled over my own lifetime, many times we focus solely on the behaviors of individuals. Sometimes when we see an overweight child, we make assumptions about the eating habits of the family, without thinking about circumstances that shape food choices. The common exception, in my experience, seems to be the impact of cultural beliefs and behaviors.
When I talk with people about children’s nutrition, they often bring up culture as important influencer. More often than not, however, I’ve heard culture—especially Latino culture—framed as a negative factor. The reality is that culture is part of a larger framework that shapes our choices. Social, economic, and environmental factors (also known as social determinants of health) shape our opportunities to be healthy. When it comes to nutritious eating, our cultural beliefs matter, along with where we live and whether we make a living wage, have access to health care, and are able to access programs and resources that are available to help. For low-income Latinos, nutrition education and behavior counseling that take all of these factors into account—such as budget-savvy strategies that are also culturally and linguistically competent—is more likely to be information that families can apply to their lives.
Take the Latino families featured in our Comer Bien series (also featured after the jump). Time and time again, we heard from parents and grandparents who understood the important role that good nutrition has in their children’s health, but struggled with the logistics of putting healthy food on the table every day. And families were rarely struggling with just one issue; rather, many constraints at once—low-wage or cyclical employment, poor transportation, unsafe neighborhoods, food environments without full-service grocery stores but plenty of fast food chains and gas stations with cheap, calorie-dense food options—often made buying and preparing healthy meals a herculean task. Increasingly, researchers are linking poor food access with increased consumption of added sugars and fats—which can contribute to Hispanic children’s troubling rates of overweight and obesity.
Yet we also found that Latinos’ cultural beliefs and practices were not the stumbling block that many people portray them to be. Dig deeper and you’ll find that deeply held values for community, family, and nourishment are powerful assets in the fight against child obesity. The concept of comer bien (eating well) means that for many Latino families, sharing a meal together around a table with their children is as central to wellness as is the nutritional content. Shifting approaches to work with, rather than against, these beliefs is a successful strategy.
First, while much is made of a Latino association of chubbiness with healthy children, we should not assume that Hispanic parents are the only ones who have trouble accurately assessing their children’s body size. A study of White, Black, and Mexican American mothers found that one-third misclassified their child’s weight status, regardless of race/ethnicity. Perhaps, then, a focus on clinical markers such as body mass index is not the most effective way to reach parents. Qualitative studies show that Latinas focus on their children’s ability to play and be active, rather than a number on a scale; researchers suggest that reframing the conversation to focus on healthy eating and physical activity resonates more with Latinas than centering the discussion on children’s weight.
Similarly, it is not helpful to generalize about Hispanics’ feeding practices. While Latino parents—like most American families—have to negotiate children’s food intake with both their kids and other family members, restricting children’s intake of fatty or junk foods is a common strategy for many Latina moms. One finding in a study of New York WIC participants found that Latino and Black parents were more likely than White parents to report restricting children’s diets and that their kids should finish dinner before having desserts—a statistically significant difference.
Finally, traditional menus and ingredients is perhaps the most concrete way that nutrition advocates can capitalize on Hispanic culture as a force for good. Latino immigrants traditionally have diets filled with nutritious staples like fresh vegetables; in fact, it is acculturation to the U.S. that leads to rising obesity rates among children. Moreover, many traditional recipes can be made over without asking families to give up their favorites. In our Comer Bien series, we saw this in action. Motivated to give their children healthy foods while still passing on family traditions, Guadalupe and Humberto from El Paso, Texas learned to prepare foods like homemade tortillas using whole grain flour and mashed apples. And 21-year-old José from Washington, DC recalled being surprised to learn that his mother was filling his favorite pupusas with vegetables.
We must employ a comprehensive approach to the child obesity crisis, integrating policies and practices that influence all of the factors that leave Latino children more vulnerable. With nearly 40% of Hispanic kids either overweight or obese, it is imperative that those strategies take into account the needs of the community. The good news is that we can see culture as a strength to be harnessed, rather than a barrier to be overcome, in the fight to reverse Latino child obesity.
For more information, please visit www.nclr.org/nutrition.