Weight Gain And Obesity Among Immigrants And Refugees

Under the field of nutrition, researchers have found that nutrition is one of causes of weight gain and obesity among immigrants and refugees in the United States. They studied the causes of weight gain and obesity in immigrants and refugee communities in the United States. According to five research studies (Bhatta et al. 2014; Caspi et al. 2016; Cespesdes et al. 2013; Olson et al. 2016; Rondinelli et al. 2011), poor nutrition is the major cause of weight gain and obesity among immigrants and refugees of different ethnicities in various geographical regions in recent time period in the United States. Overall, they used five different methods in their studies such as; interviews, longitudinal study, survey questionnaires, targeted sampling method and cross-sectional analysis to investigate the causes of weight gain and obesity among refugee and immigrants resettled in the U.S. They have found that immigrants and refugees in the United States have been periodically connected to variety of foods. Adoption of foods that are primarily higher consumption of carbohydrates from rice and potatoes, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, …show more content…
Bhatta et al. (2014) have used community cross sectional study and questionnaire translated in Nepali for sample of 120 Bhutanese refugee women aged 18-65 years in Northeast, Ohio United States. They found that 6 % participants were tested positive, 28.7 % were normal weight, and the remaining 64.8 % classified as excess weight due to higher consumption of carbohydrates from white rice and potatoes and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables and more sweetened beverages and larger portion of meet at home. Similarly, Cespedes et al. (2013), also showed that non-US born parents’ (immigrants) weight gain is associated with drinking more sweetened beverages and larger portion of meals eaten at