Obesity in Latino Kids Linked to Economical Status, American Diet: Study

A new study reveals that the prevalence of obesity among Latino children who are born in the U.S. is connected with the kind of food they eat, Salud Today reports.

According to the study conducted by Penn State, Mexicans kids are more obese than children from other ethnic groups. The researchers explored the connection between their diet and their family's socioeconomic status.

Using information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination study conducted from 1999 to 2009, narrowing down the sample to Mexican children aged 5 and 17 years old, the researchers searched for connections between the kids' generation and their families' economic status, per the publication.

Penn State researchers found out that Mexican kids who are born in the U.S. usually "do what the Romans do," which means that they eat an American diet in an effort to “fit in” with other, Molly Martin, associate professor of sociology and demography at Penn State, said. “Part of fitting in is eating the same foods."

“Historically, Mexican-origin immigrant families have been at the bottom of the socioeconomic distribution. We focused on children's nutrition because we know from previous research poor nutrition is a risk factor for childhood obesity and because immigrant families' diets frequently decline with increasing exposure to the U.S," Martin said.

Also, according to Salud Today, the study found out that children who are born and raised in Mexico are more akin to eating healthier foods because of their exposure to traditional Mexican fare that mainly uses vegetables and fruits.

Penn State also notes that third-generation Mexican children, who fall under the lowest socioeconomic status, have the largest diet deficit while immigrant Mexican kids who have educated parents with higher income have less deficit.

Martin said, said per Penn State, "Immigrant families that successfully integrate into American society have better outcomes, while those families that struggle economically face additional risks, including their children’s health."

“The results weren’t entirely expected, as we've seen in other studies a higher socioeconomic status can lead to declines in health due to access of more calorie-dense foods, electronics, and a more sedentary lifestyle," Martin added.

She also said that this is just one aspect that affects childhood obesity among Latino kids and other ethnic groups. Other factors that should also be looked closely to are the location of where these kids eat their meals and their level of education.