Introduction
The issue of growing obesity rates worries the scientific society. Gong et al. seek to explore the link between generations of immigrants and obesity among Californians (2019). Immigrant Americans were defined as those born outside the United States (Gong et al., 2019). Second-generation Asian Americans are individuals whose parents were born outside the United States. The rest of the participants were assigned to the third generation. The study confirmed that long-term stay in the US for people of Asian descent increases the risk of obesity.
Summarizing
There are very few studies examining the influences of the immigrant generation on obesity among Asian Americans. The health of immigrants depends on the sending country, the receiving country, and the experience of migration and resettlement itself (Gong et al., 2019). In the US, obesity has become an epidemic over the past two decades, with the prevalence of obesity in the US being 35.0% in men and 40.4% in women (Gong et al., 2019). A logistic regression analysis was used, adjusting for age, gender, household income, smoking, and fast-food consumption (Gong et al., 2019). Overall, 23.3% of the study population were obese, and 40.0% were overweight (Gong et al., 2019). Obesity rates appear to be increasing the longer Asian immigrants stay in the US.
Method
The study is a quantitative analysis based on pure data, adjusted for age, gender and fast-food consumption; the researchers collected data on Asian Americans in California. The total number of identified people was 2967 people (Gong et al., 2019). Body mass index served as a marker for determining overweight and obesity – 25 and 30, respectively (Gong et al., 2019). In addition, immigrants were separated by a generation, which allowed the researchers to conclude how the relocation to US affects the risks of obesity.
Strengths
The study appears to be compelling and based on hard data. Firstly, the study is strong because it relies on data from almost 3,000 people. The study has the right conclusions: after comparing the indicators for several generations, it becomes clear that the risks of developing excess weight increase. Such findings are supported by other researchers, emphasizing that immigrant health, in general, is strongly influenced by the cultural environment of the country of relocation (Commodore-Mensah et al., 2018). The article is convincing and draws attention to an important social problem.
Weak Sides
The study is one of a few examining the impact of relocation to the US on the health of Asian Americans. The study concludes that Asians have a lower risk of developing obesity than other races. However, there is not enough data for this comparison to be fully conclusive. Further research on the same issue of obesity in different races is needed to find clear patterns.
Subsequent Research
Further studies may be associated with the search for solutions to the identified problem. Since Asian Americans have been proven to have negative health effects, it is necessary to consider ways to minimize this impact. It is important to understand exactly how the cultural characteristics of the country of relocation affect the health of immigrants. Following the habits of local residents can have a bad effect, and these patterns need to be identified.
General Opinion
The general opinion about this study remained positive; it seems that the article provides complete information on the important topic. It is becoming clear that the patterns that affect the health of Americans also affect immigrants, regardless of the time of relocation. Asians are less prone to obesity; despite this, when coming to the US, the risks increase significantly. It is necessary to identify the mechanisms of this influence in order to combat them.
Conclusion
The topic of obesity and excess weight continues to be relevant in scientific research. The study of the increased risk of obesity among Asian Americans makes a significant contribution to resolving this problem. Further research is needed to determine which cultural patterns lead to this outcome. After understanding the mechanism of the impact, strategies can be developed to prevent negative effects on the health of emigrants.
References
Commodore-Mensah, Y., Selvin, E., Aboagye, J., Turkson-Ocran, R. A., Li, X., Himmelfarb, C. D., & Cooper, L. A. (2018). Hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes among immigrants in the United States: an analysis of the 2010–2016 National Health Interview Survey. BMC public health, 18(1), 1-10.
Gong, S., Wang, K., Li, Y., & Alamian, A. (2019). The influence of immigrant generation on obesity among Asian Americans in California from 2013 to 2014. PloS one, 14(2), 1-12.