Diabetes And Obesity In The Latino Community

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The Link Between Diabetes and Obesity In the Latino Community It is a well known fact that diabetes is a very prevalent disease in the Latino community. Their rates of diabetes are almost double those of non-latino whites. One of the main reasons Latinos have such a high numbers of diabetes is often due to their high rates of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. Genetics also plays a huge role in why latinos are so likely to develop diabetes. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. This dangerous disease is very closely linked with being overweight, a poor diet, and an inactive lifestyle, all of which are common traits of the Latino lifestyle. Luckily with community education and a willingness to change…show more content…
Obesity can lead to so many diseases. The big problem is that obesity is becoming more prevalent in all age groups even in children. Obesity is not the same thing as being overweight, but being overweight and not having a desire to try and change or lose weight can lead to obesity. Obesity is termed when you have a BMI or body mass index of thirty or higher. While obesity is a problem that is cutting across all social classes, it is especially high in the latino community. The severity of the consequences of obesity is higher with Latinos due to our genetic predisposition towards developing diabetes and other diseases that are often related to having a high BMI. Obesity is caused by many lifestyle…show more content…
Nobody wants to find out they have diabetes. It is a lifelong battle to control your eating and exercising habits, that can lead to such scary complications. I think it is harder for latinos because we have been raised in a culture that encourages us to love delicious, high calorie foods, and have also been surrounded with the belief that diabetes is just a common occurrence due to our genetic predisposition, but with education we can come to realize that it does not have to be. Obesity is not something that we as Latinos have to battle. Diabetes Is not an inevitable disease that will affect us all when we hit a certain age. We have the power to change our lifestyles and change what the younger generations of latinos feel about diabetes and obesity. Works Cited "Diabetes And Obesity Forum For African-Americans And Latinos." New York Amsterdam News 90.2 (1999): 8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. Maria A. Salinas, et al. "Weight, Diet, And Physical Activity-Related Beliefs And Practices Among Pregnant And Postpartum Latino Women: The Role Of Social Support." Maternal & Child Health Journal 10.1 (2006): 95-104. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, et al. "Generational Status And Duration Of Residence Predict Diabetes Prevalence Among

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