LATINOS FACE MAJOR HEALTH HAZARDS IN U.S.
Dr. Marc Schenker, Director
UC
Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Smoking addiction, weight gain, and sexually transmitted diseases are
three major health hazards Latino immigrants confront when coming in contact
with the American culture, according to a new study at the University of
California, Davis.
"Immigrant health is a major problem today and will be for the
foreseeable future," says Marc Schenker, professor of epidemiology and
preventive medicine and director of the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural
Health and Safety.
Schenker's study found that Latin Americans' health status
deteriorates when they migrate to the United States. Weight gain becomes a big
health risk when immigrants encounter cheap, low-quality food and develop bad
eating habits. They stop eating fresh foods and homemade meals, increase their
consumption of foods with fat and sugar, and give in to the "super-size"
portions. Also, Latino eating habits change simply because they are able to
afford this new lifestyle, Schenker says.
Secondly, the longer immigrants, including pregnant women, reside
in the United States, the more likely they are to smoke. Again, having the
monetary resources to sustain this addiction encourages smoking, Schenker points
out.
Finally, statistics are showing increasing numbers of Latinos
contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the result of losing conservative
moral attitudes as immigrants adapt to the sexually freer American culture,
Schenker says. According to Schenker, identifying problems and educating Latinos
are important first steps. Further, addressing the problem in its early stages,
before the onset of the chronic diseases, is equally important.
"It is easier and more cost-effective to prevent the consequences of obesity from occurring than to have to treat them once they have developed the problem," says Schenker.