There is an evident difference in a variety of cultures and traditions throughout the world. According to Dr. Lucy Long, food culture “refers to the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. It encompasses the concepts of foodways, cuisine, and food system and includes the fundamental understandings a group has about food, historical and current conditions shaping that group’s relationship to food, and the ways in which the group uses food to express identity, community, values, status, power, artistry, and creativity.” (Dr. Lucy Long, lexiconoffood.com). Four cultures and foods related to heath and obesity that are very different are the Chinese, Native Americans, Mexicans, and Amish. Adult and adolescent Native Americans typically and traditionally do not have a high intake of fruits or vegetables. In Chapter 5 of Food and Culture by Kittler, Sucher, and Nelms, 60% of Indians in California admitted to not consuming any fruits the previous day, and 28% of them stated they had not eaten any vegetables the day before either. In South Dakota areas, 60% of the group called the Lakotas said they only ate fruit about two to eight times per month but ate vegetables on a regular basis. It has been found that life expectancy is about 2.4 years less compared to the population of the United States. The main factor of not being able to consume more fruits regularly is the cost, availability, and the quality of the products. The rates of obesity and overweight individuals has increased and become more common amidst Native Americans. Along with overweight and obesity issues among Native Americans, is a high prevalence of eating disorders among adolescent Native Americans. A major concern that often coincides or results from obesity is type 2 Diabetes. Part of the cause for higher rates of type 2 Diabetes is the overconsumption of non indigenous proteins such as beef and chicken along with consuming less native foods. Native Americans are two to four times more likely to develop type 2 Diabetes than the general United States population and Alaskan natives and American Indians have the highest rates of type 2 Diabetes than any other ethnic or racial group in the United States. As a result of the high prevalence of obesity and type 2 Diabetes among Native Americans, death rates are three times as high for the Native American population. The ending issue that results from type 2 Diabetes and obesity, is cardiovascular disease. Although cardiovascular disease could end up being the most serious condition to occur, tuberculosis and chronic kidney disease become more prevalent as well. For Native Americans, it is believed that health indicates the individuals relationship with nature, which includes family, community, and environment. Native Americans believe that supernatural, spiritual, or social imbalances are the reasons behind illnesses and the overall treatment goal is to correct that imbalance, not focusing on the symptoms. Many Native Americans blame or believe that the causes of many diseases are things such as cultural changes and rejections from other cultures. According to page 122 in the book, in a few Native American groups, a unique genetic mutation has been identified. Also, it has been found that a diet that is plentiful at times and also has food shortages could be the cause. This is because the adapted metabolism is not able handle the constant abundance of the modern diet, which then results in increased insulin amounts. The spiked rates of obesity and type 2 Diabetes in Native Americans can be attributed to political-economic, etiological, and cultural factors. Native Americans’ eating habits were established by the geography and climate of their area and are based upon hunters and gatherers. In the Northeast, it is common to consume one large meal, typically before noon, and eat snacks throughout the rest of the day. Although before noon was the most common time to consume their one large meal, there was no specific time that the meal was set for. However, in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, it was more common that two meals a day were served. The women would wake up very early to prepare the breakfast to be eaten before sunrise and the rest of the afternoon was used rot prepare the dinner which as eaten at sunset. In A systematic review of physical activity levels in Native American populations in Canada and the United States in the last 50 years, by Foulds, Warburton, and Bredin, it was found that the activity levels of Native Americans in Canada and the United States were not high and few adults were found to actually meet the physical activity recommendations. Overall, the lack of exercise along with low incomes and socioeconomic statuses are the main factors that are affecting obesity, diabetes, and CVD among Native Americans. Traditional health care for Mexicans is composed of Indian supernatural rituals and European folk medicine which began in Spain. For Mexicans, it is generally believed that health is a gift from God and outside forces are what causes illnesses. A person called curanderos are used for healing individuals with a variety of complaints ranging from marital or business issues, to diabetes and cancer. Obesity and diabetes are two of the problems that are found in new and acculturated immigrants from Mexico. According to Food and Culture by Kittler, Sucher, and Nelms, “Mexian Americans have the highest component scores on the USDA Healthy Eating Index of all ethnic groups in the United States.” While Mexicans do often times consume fruits as deserts and snacks, their sodium consumptions is abnormally high. Fat and cholesterol consumption is increased and on the other hand, Vitamin C and riboflavin amounts are decreased due to snacks which are typically high in fats and fried foods, which are unhealthy. A common health issue with Mexican Americans is obesity. With the amounts of fatty and salty foods that are being consumed on a regular basis along with the lack of physical activity that people in the US are getting, this causes a problem. Mexicans consume many traditional foods for meals, such as eggs, beans, meats, with tortillas for breakfast, beans and stew or soup for lunch, and meat with rice, potatoes, and beans for dinner. Those dishes are high in both sodium an protein, which can have some negative effects eaten in high quantity. Families who do not have low incomes often times eat four or five meals a day, which is more than an average amount and adding snacks onto that results in weight gain and obesity. With education increasing and children coming home from school in the afternoon or evenings, the amount of snacks has greatly increased. Contrary to popular beliefs, not all Mexican food is hot and spicy. Often times the diets vary between different areas because of the availability of different staples such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. The hot-cold system practiced by Mexicans is known to have come from the Arab system of humoral medicine. This system is applied to foods and the prevention and treatment of illness and does not include moral or social beliefs. The theory is based on the idea that the world’s resources are limited and it is important to keep in balance and stay in harmony with the environment. Hot is related to strength and cold to weakness. The foods can be classified by the proximity to the sun, how it was prepared, or how it affects the body. Meals balanced between hot and cold foods are considered to be health promoting and unbalanced meals cause illness. Hot rice, soup made with hot and cold ingredients, and cold beans is an example in a rural village. Illnesses are also believed to be hot and cold and are typically treated with a diet rich in foods of the opposite classification.The Mexicans also use home remedies to attempt to treat health related issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Hypertension is often treated with garlic passion flowers or linden flowers and leaves of sapodilla trees act as sedatives in a tea to attempt to lower blood pressure. Sage tea and infusions made from leaves and flowers are commonly used to treat diabetes. With a diet of high red meats, rice, potatoes, and bread, a lot of carbohydrates. Pairing high quantities of carbohydrates with a lack of exercise does not result in good things. While under nutrition is commonly a problem due to low incomes and the inability to find quality foods, obesity is an even bigger problem among the Mexican descent, with 36 percent of men and 45 percent of women being obese in 2008 (Kittler, Sucher, and Nelms). In Perceived Barriers to Exercise in Hispanic Adults by Level of Activity, 398 Hispanics from South Texas were overseen to study the levels of exercise and barriers to exercise taking place. The results of the study concluded that 67.6% of the participants did not meet the physical activity amounts equal to that of an active lifestyle, which is atlas 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Many of the participants blamed their lack of exercise on the “lack of time”, “very tired”, and “lack of self-discipline”. By simply increasing their exercise weekly, many health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure could be prevented.
In the past, China has been plagued with recurring famine resulting from either too much rain or not enough rain. Therefore, they eat many different variations of foods they have available. Fruits, vegetables, and protein are the staples of Chinese cuisine and very little amounts of dairy are consumed. The necessities which are essential in their diets are grains, rice, and wheat. Noodles are a common ingredient in different soups, and are often times topped with meats and vegetables that are stir fried. China is divided into two areas, northern and southern. The Northern region includes the Shandong and Honan regions of Chinese cooking. The Shandong area is famous for Peking duck and mu she pork, which are wrapped in Mandarin wheat pancakes and topped with hoisin sauce. Honan is known for its sweet-and-sour freshwater fish which is made from whole carp caught in the Huang River. A lot of the North is bordered by Mongolia, and they usually y eat a lot of mutton. Grilling or barbecuing is common in this area and one speciality is the Mongolian hot pot. The Mongolian hot pot has sliced meats and veggies cooked at the table in a pot of broth over a charcoal brazier. Typically, the food is eaten first and then the broth is consumed after. In Northern China, the climates limited the amount and types of food. Therefore, foods were often preserved which then led to many salty flavors. The staples in the Northern area include millet, sorghum, and soybeans. Cabbage, turnips, and onions are common and a delicacy from this area is braised bear paw. A beverage usually served is a hot, clear soup. Southern China is divided into three culinary areas: Sichuan- Hunan, Yunnan, and Cantonese. Sichuan- Huan has fare distinguished by chiles, garlic, and fagara. Typical dishes in this area are hot and sour soup, camphor and tea smoked duck, and oily walnut paste and sugar dessert that can be compared to the nut halvah of the Middle East. Yunnan cooking uses a lot of dairy products and dishes are usually hot and spicy. Cantonese is the most common to many Americans because most of the Chinese restaurants in America serve this style of food. This includes stir fry dishes, seafood, thick sauces, and the use of vegetable oil instead of lard. The staples in the South are rice and soybeans. However, a lot of the veggies used in the North are also used in the South. Wheat is more commonly used in the North than in the South.
For Chinese Americans, the amounts of meat and poultry consumed increases largely and potatoes, lettuce, or other readily available American foods are used instead of some of China’s traditional fruits or vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are often consumed in larger amounts within people of acculturation, higher incomes, and higher education levels. Although obesity, diabetes, and overweight individuals are not prevalent with adults and the acculturated individuals, obesity in Chinese adolescents is becoming more prevalent.
According to Lucy Luo, Chinese adolescent obesity is because “The main cause is our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, combined with the introduction of highly processed fast food and adoption of western aspirations.” Lou also points out in her article that as the generations go further back, they were poorer and did not have the money to buy their kids luxuries and meals that they wanted. She states that now that families are wealthier, parents are wanting to buy their children things they were never able to have such as McDonalds and other fast foods that people are drawn to. Pang Li wrote in Obesity is a growing concern in China that Chinese people have been gaining more and more weight throughout the decades as a result of the “living standards improving substantially”. Li comments that “protruding bellies and round people of any age are now a common sight in many Chinese cities.” Li continues to back up the comments with statistics proving that in 2002, China had 200 million people who were overweight and the numbers are increasing rapidly. As the older population in China often times participates in traditional exercising routines early in the morning to keep their health, many adolescents are obese and more and more middle aged adults have cut out their exercising habits. “A report issued by the Ministry of Health in August, found that 83.8 percent of adults never take any exercise.” 83.8 percent is an overwhelming majority of a population and makes for a very unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle.
For the Amish, it is well known that have very strong work ethics and outgo high amounts of daily exercise. They are “members of a strict Mennonite sect” and do not use electricity or drive automobiles. The Amish are often times known as the “Plain People”, and they live a lot healthier lifestyles than many other groups of people. The Amish have three top priorities which are God, family, and farms. Only 4% of the Amish population have a BMI greater than 30, compared to Americans 31%. The Amish have a physically demanding life style that entails vigorous amounts of activity working in the fields. With the amounts of physical activity that Amish are doing on a day-to-day basis, and the non-processed foods that they are growing and consuming, they are expending more calories than they are taking in. Genes are passed down each generation, and the Amish generations and populations are simply healthier and more physically active going back hundreds of years. With a measly 4% of obese individuals in the Amish population, they have very low chances of developing type 2 Diabetes. According to an article by Annie Hauser in Everyday Health, “Amish children were twice as physically active, spending 34 minutes a day in light physical activity, plus 53 more minutes a day in moderate to vigorous physical activity.” Young children in Amish communities walk to and from school, rather than driving or taking a bus, have outdoor recess, and have their daily chores and farming to complete as well. It is rare for an Amish family to not have a farm on their land that grows a large variety of their foods. Corn, celery, beets, carrots, tomatoes, peas, and many more vegetables are common vegetables grown by the Amish on their farms. Along with vegetables growing, fruit trees are often present which is how the Amish are able to constantly be consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Some Amish raise their own livestock, have hens laying eggs, pigs, and chickens. It is also not uncommon for many Amish men to hunt and freeze or save that meat for family meals. Although many foods may have a lot of carbohydrates, fat, and protein, it is not as essential for the Amish to consume foods low in fat due to the amount of energy they are expending. Because the Amish use limited electricity, the way their meals can be prepared is different. Gas-powered stoves, refrigerators, and water heaters are sometimes used. Therefore, their meals are cooked from scratch. However, most of the food that the Amish prepare is either grown on their farm by themselves or butchered on their very own farm. Due to the amount of hard labor that the Amish endure, it is very important that they consume the proper nutrients and do not under consume or not get enough meals. Typically, breakfast is served in the early morning with foods such as meats, eggs, and cheese. The largest meal of the day that he Amish refer to as Middaagesse, is eaten in the middle of the day. The dinner meal is called nachtesse and foods that have been prepared all day from the farms are served. Overall, obesity is either a current problem that is growing or an epidemic that is starting with the youth in some cultures. Obesity can lead to other serious health issues such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, tuberculosis, and cardiovascular disease. By simply adding exercise into an everyday lifestyle, many people no matter what cultures or ethnic groups derived from, can prevent such health issues and overall better the lives of themselves and their families in numerous aspects.