Between first and second generation US immigrants, a striking increase in overweight and obesity occurs. A study using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health set out to determine the underlying factors that cause this phenomenon. More than 8,600 adolescents of varying ethnicity were assessed for overweight and several factors including diet. Researchers concluded that immigrant adolescents are likely to be influenced by the “obesigenic” environment of the US, including sedentary lifestyles, large portion sizes, heavy advertising of high-fat, energy-dense foods, and mass media. Lifestyle differences between foreign- and US-born Hispanic adolescent immigrants are likely to underlie the striking increase in overweight between first and subsequent generations of US residence.
Social Science & Medicine, April 2003; 57:2023–2034 (Gordon-Larsena P et al.)