The High-Risk Nutritional Behaviors Associated with Different Cultures

High risk nutritional practices
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High risk nutritional practices
High-risk nutritional behavior practiced among the Chinese culture
In the Chinese culture, high-risk nutritional behavior that is practiced entails the use of food additives which could be harmful to the individuals who eat the food. In particular, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a type of food additive in Chinese foods has been shown to bring about an illness called the Chinese restaurant syndrome, which is essentially a pattern of symptoms which affect a person after consuming Chinese food (Margetts et al., 2011). With regard to the historical perspectives and belief systems of the Chinese culture that influence this high risk nutritional behavior, the Chinese people have historically believed in the use of flavoring systems to make the person eating the food think that the food is high in protein and therefore it is nutritious. Other influencing factors on the high-risk behaviors for the Chinese culture include family roles, whereby the wife/woman who prepares food should make it look as tasty and nutritious as possible hence the use of potentially harmful additives.
High-risk nutritional behavior practiced among the Nigeria culture
In the Nigerian culture, there is a strong preference for sons. This preference manifests itself in discriminatory treatment, deprivation and neglect of the girl child to the detriment of their nutritional and physical health. With regard to the historical perspectives and belief systems of the Nigerian culture, Nigerians have historically held the belief that the boy child is more important than the girl child, and therefore boys should eat first before girls (Purnell, 2013). It is notable that the preference for male children affects girls through inequitable allocation of food, and this disparity is regularly reinforced all through life. Consequently, women and girls are usually fed only after men and boys have eaten and females usually get food of lower nutritional value (Croll, Neumark-Sztainer & Story, 2010). Other influencing factors on the high-risk behaviors for the Nigerian culture include family roles, since women are expected to cook for men, prepare food for men and eat only after men have eaten; and health care practices since unlike boys, girls are less likely to obtain medical care for diarrhea or malnutrition. As such, malnutrition among girls is widespread.
High-risk nutritional behavior practiced among the Mexican culture
In the Mexican culture, high-risk nutritional behavior that is practiced entails the consumption of sugary drinks, junk foods and other unhealthy foods such as Quesadillas, Nachos, Tacos and Burritos which have too much calories, salt and fat. This has historically been practiced for decades. Consequently, Mexico has the highest adult obesity rates than any country in the world – behind the United States – and is currently the world’s most obese country (Stevenson et al., 2013). Another influencing factor on the high-risk behaviors for the Mexican culture is education in than Mexican citizens rarely receive education about the dangers of unhealthy eating and how to consume healthy foods. The other factor is drug and alcohol use since poor enforcement of laws has resulted in drug use being a major problem in Mexico with adverse effects on the health of the illicit drug users since they consume less nutritious foods which combined with drug abuse and alcohol abuse leads to poor health (Jenkins & Horner, 2014).
High-risk nutritional behavior practiced among the Colombian culture
In the Colombian culture, high-risk nutritional behavior that is practiced entails the consumption of foods such as Nachos and Burritos which are excessively high in calories, sodium and fat, which have resulted in many people being obese – a risk factor for many serious illnesses such as stroke and heart disease (Jenkins & Horner, 2014). Historically, people practicing the Colombian culture strongly believe in the consumption of Authentic Colombian Foods which are generally prepared with ingredients such as lard, cheese, beans and sauces produced from high-saturated fats – the end product being unhealthy foods. Other influencing factors on the high-risk behaviors for the Colombian culture include drug and alcohol use, particularly drugs. The problem of drug traffic in Colombia is very rampant such that some Colombians engage in the use of illegal drugs and fail to consume an adequate amount of healthy foods and the result is that many people tend to have malnutrition. It is notable that in Colombia, cocaine has in fact infiltrated all aspects of the Colombian culture.
High-risk nutritional behavior practiced among the American culture
In the culture of the United States, high-risk nutritional behavior that is practiced entails the consumption of a very little amount of food especially by women due to the fear of gaining weight. As a result, many women suffer from Anorexia Nervosa and have an obsessive fear of increasing their weight, they have an unrealistic perception of body image, and they refuse to maintain a body weight that is generally considered healthy. Such individuals strictly limit the amount of food they eat and even when they are evidently too thin, they see themselves as being overweight (Purnell, 2013). The belief system that influences this high-risk nutritional behavior is that in the American culture, being slender and thin for women is considered as the ideal image of a beautiful woman and many women go to great lengths, even underfeeding themselv...