Nutrition Vs American Culture Essay
Nutrition
It is no secret the United States is currently facing an ever growing obstacle when it comes to obesity and nutrition amongst the population. “During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high...no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%...thirty six states had a prevalence of 25% or more.” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). This is a substantial increase from the results recorded 20 years ago. Since American culture is comprised of numerous nationalities, it is important to identify both the characteristics of individual nationality nutrition trends and those of which that have been picked up through current trends in the American culture. We …show more content…
This trend has much to do with the food preparations with high-fat and sugar ingredients. This is a difficult obstacle for those of the German background as food has become a well known characteristic of the German culture. Overeating is quite common, and it is even customary to reward children with food for exhibiting good behavior (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). These factors as well as the tendency to prepare generous amounts of food increases health risks. Similarly, food served in the Polish culture is high in carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fats. Both cultures exhibit common high blood sugar and cholesterol levels increasing the risk for obesity and diabetes.
Several cultures practice nutritional awareness in their home countries by promoting a healthy diet, and serving meals that are suggested to be beneficial for the body, mind, and in some cases, even the soul. Examples of this would be many Asian cultures and Russian cultures that implore its citizens to eat healthy by eating lean meats and vegetables with every meal. It is after their assimilation into American culture that they taper off good eating habits due to availability and cost of ingredients and the numerous fast food establishments among other
It is no secret the United States is currently facing an ever growing obstacle when it comes to obesity and nutrition amongst the population. “During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high...no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%...thirty six states had a prevalence of 25% or more.” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). This is a substantial increase from the results recorded 20 years ago. Since American culture is comprised of numerous nationalities, it is important to identify both the characteristics of individual nationality nutrition trends and those of which that have been picked up through current trends in the American culture. We …show more content…
This trend has much to do with the food preparations with high-fat and sugar ingredients. This is a difficult obstacle for those of the German background as food has become a well known characteristic of the German culture. Overeating is quite common, and it is even customary to reward children with food for exhibiting good behavior (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). These factors as well as the tendency to prepare generous amounts of food increases health risks. Similarly, food served in the Polish culture is high in carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fats. Both cultures exhibit common high blood sugar and cholesterol levels increasing the risk for obesity and diabetes.
Several cultures practice nutritional awareness in their home countries by promoting a healthy diet, and serving meals that are suggested to be beneficial for the body, mind, and in some cases, even the soul. Examples of this would be many Asian cultures and Russian cultures that implore its citizens to eat healthy by eating lean meats and vegetables with every meal. It is after their assimilation into American culture that they taper off good eating habits due to availability and cost of ingredients and the numerous fast food establishments among other