Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions in the American population, and some of the greatest sufferers are those that are not even native to the United States. Latino Americans are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, yet as their quantity and presence continue to rise, so does their prevalence of disease, and obesity is no exception (Kaplan 2004). The diet patterns for Latino immigrants may favor their home country traditions at first, but as Latinos become more acculturated to American lifestyles and norms, their protective habits are substituted for more "Americanized" ones that subdue their immunity to "Americanized" health problems like obesity.
[...] Latinos, Inc.: The marketing and making of a people. California: University of California Press. Fitzgibbon, Marian, et. al. (2002). A community-based obesity prevention program for minority children: rationale and study design for Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Preventive Medicine 289-297. Kaplan, Mark S., et. al. (2004). The association between length of residence and obesity among Hispanic immigrants. American Journal of [...]
[...] Latinos consequently suffer from a lack of health awareness about obesity and its prevention, due to the inadequacy of culturally specific health marketing communication efforts. Communication for Latino populations requires a complex and involved understanding of their cultural values and practices, which is perhaps why more generalized communication messages fail to reach Latinos. Any health recommendation addressed to Latinos must be culturally relevant to their beliefs, motivating Latino individuals and families to embrace health- promoting behaviors that coincide with their cultural values. [...]
[...] With the Latino landscape in mind, my communication media for obesity would be aimed at changing the unhealthy cooking patterns in Latino households that may lead to obesity. It would be in the form of a postcard, mailed to Latino families and distributed through community venues dominated by Latinos (such as churches and bodegas or grocery stores). The postcard bears a straightforward message about the importance of healthy cooking behaviors, provides a few suggested changes the families can make, and refers them to a website with more in depth information. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
