CULTURE
The Culture in which a
person lives is the most powerful influence on a person’s eating patterns,
activity levels, and body weight. Culture also forms values, attitudes, and
beliefs about how people view being fat or thin. Understanding someone’s
lifestyle, can aid in thinking about different obesity influences, ( Newman, 2009).
People who live in
developed societies are more likely to have a general increase in body weight
and (BMI) body mass index than their peers in other developing countries,( Sivalingam,
et, al., 2011).
What’s more surprising is that more attention has not been given to the worry
of obesity in the elderly, because obesity causes medical complications and
decreases quality of life.
Ethnicity is important
to consider in relation to obesity. In the US more ethnic groups are more accepting
of their body weight than white majority groups. Hispanics, more likely than
Whites and African Americans want treatment for their obesity, ( Kirby, Liang, Chen, & Wang, 2012). Diet being the
most favored weight loss treatment for White and African Americans, whereas
medication was more preferred with Hispanic subjects. Hispanics are less
interested in exercising than Whites or African Americans, ( Kirby, Liang, Chen, & Wang, 2012).
USA national data established that rural women
are slightly more obese than their metropolitan peers. Rural residents have
higher caloric intake than people in urban areas, (2012). When understanding culture we
can help control bodyweight by producing less food and processing foods that
are lower in calorie, which than might decrease obesity in society.