South Asian migrants to Scotland appear to develop adverse dietary elements in the first generation, which are modified in subsequent generations, whereas Italians' diets remain cardioprotective in the migrant generation but deteriorate in subsequent generations.

AIMS:To compare anthropometric measurements and to define their behavioural associations in migrant and British-born South Asians (who have increased cardiovascular risk) or Italians (who have reduced cardiovascular risk), and in the general population of British women living in the west of Scotland. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of women aged 20 -42 y, selected mainly from birth registration data, which included 63 migrant South Asians, 56 British-born South Asians, 39 migrant Italians, 51 British-born Italians, and 50 subjects representative of the general population of women, all resident in the west of Scotland. MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist and hip circumferences. RESULTS: With age adjustment, migrant South Asians (0.88) had greater waist-to-hip ratio than British-born South Asians (0.84; P < 0.05), while there was no difference between migrant (0.81) and British-born (0.79) Italian groups. Both migrant (P < 0.001) and British-born South Asian (P < 0.05) groups had higher waist-to-hip ratio and were about 3 cm shorter than Italian groups and the general population. Neither weight nor BMI were different between ethnic groups. Waist and hip circumferences were not different between migrant and British-born ethnic minority groups. Migrant South Asians (86.8 cm) had significantly (P < 0.05) larger waist circumference than the general population (78.6 cm). British-born Italian women (103.0 cm) had larger hip circumference than the general population of women (96.4 cm), while other groups had similar hip circumferences. Additional adjustments for physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and parity reduced the differences in anthropometric measurements: only waist-to-hip ratio of migrant South Asians remained significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that of the general population women. CONCLUSIONS: The adverse anthropometric indicators of cardiovascular risk in migrant South Asian women are substantially explained by their lifestyle factors and parity. British-born South Asian women are more similar to the general population women. Anthropometric differences between migrant or British-born Italians and the general population women are small.

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South Asians have a high risk of heart disease in Britain andItalians low, and there are corresponding differences in total energy and total fat intake. The present paper explores how far obligatory patterns of food intake exist in either group and are reflected in conventions of hospitality. Both groups are from peasant-based economies, where, despite the common pattern of low fat intake, food occupies a high proportion of family income, and is correspondingly important as a part of gift exchange in marriage, and as a bearer of collective meanings. Open-ended questions on meals suitable for family hospitality were asked of South Asian women (63 born abroad, 56 in Britain), and Italian women (39 abroad, 51 in Britain) together with 50 women from the general population, all aged 20-40 and resident in the West of Scotland urban area. The traditional family meal of the Glasgow general population corresponds to the cooked dinner described in South Wales, and suggests a panBritish cultural symbol. However traditional family hospitality meals play a more important part in the life of migrant South Asians and Italians than they do in the majority culture, and British-born South Asians maintain this pattern more than British-born Italians. This pattern of hospitality, in an economy where energy-dense foods are readily available, may result in high energy intake and increased coronary risk. However realisation of these implications, and increased weight consciousness, can lead to restoration of the traditional cardioprotective diet.