Research shows children in an ethnic minority have a greater risk of being obese.
A special report has researched the issues of nationality and migration and their effects on children’s health. The new study explores the ties between childhood weight problems, socioeconomic status, and nationality. It found race, ethnicity, and immigrant status are risk factors for weight problems among children in the US and England.
The study, Migrant Youths and Children of Migrants in a Globalized World, was published in September’s ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. In addition to finding links between ethnicity and weight problems, the study also showed socioeconomic status is only a risk factor among white children, not those of other races.
“In the United States, both Hispanic and black children of native-born mothers have a higher risk of being overweight than children of native-born whites,” wrote study authors Melissa L. Martinson, Sara McLanahan and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn.
“In England, children of native-born black mothers have a higher risk of being overweight, and in some models, children of native-born Asian mothers have a higher risk.”
This study was one of the first to look at the effects of migration on children, something which is often overlooked by immigration researchers. “Unless migrant youths are engaged in the labor market, they often are ignored by international reports about migration and development,” wrote editors Alícia Adserá and Marta Tienda.
Parents struggle to talk about weight issues
An online survey from WebMD/Sanford Health has found parents find it more difficult to talk about weight with their children than sex, drugs, smoking or alcohol. “Weigh In: Talking to Your Children About Weight and Health” is an online guide created to fill the information gap and offer practical advice for parents struggling with how to discuss weight and health with their children.
“When parents search online or ask a medical professional for help in talking with their children about tough topics like sex or drinking, they can find a host of useful tools,” said STOP Obesity Alliance Director Scott Kahan, MD, MPH.
“Yet if they search for information on how to field questions on weight, they won’t find much beyond the simplistic ‘eat less, move more’ proclamation we’ve heard for years. And that’s just not sufficient to help the millions of families facing this serious and emotional health issue.”