Dietary Concerns
The general consensus among Latinos is that their eating habits change drastically when they immigrate to the United States.
Doctors and Medical Staff Should Be Aware of the Following:
In America Latinos are more likely to consume only one or two meals a day. In their native countries, they usually ate three meals a day (Hudson, 70).
In America, Latinos tend to eat sporadically, while in their native countries they ate at more regular intervals. This is often a result of the fact that they now work several jobs and are, therefore, forced to "eat on the run" (Hudson,72).
In America, Latinos eat fast food more often. These changes in eating habits often lead to a substantial weight gain. They generally attribute this weight gain to eating late at night (Hudson,75).
"American" foods are believed to cause weight gains because they are perceived to contain added preservatives, chemicals, and vitamins, in addition to a higher fat content than food from a Latino's country of origin (Westman, 294).
In their native countries, Latinos often used excessive quantities of oil while cooking and favored fatty meat
Cultural Diversity
