A Study of Dietary Patterns in the Mexican-American Population and Their Association with Obesity

Abstract

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that the trend toward increasing overweight and obesity among MexicanAmericans is continuing. This large population subgroup has a high prevalence of obesity and associated chronic conditions. Ethnic groups have different dietary patterns based on their geographical locations and various cultural influences. We examined the dietary patterns of Mexican-Americans and their association with total and central obesity. We hypothesized that Mexican-American adults following a traditional diet would have a lower prevalence of obesity than those following a more typically American diet. Data from the NHANES 2001-2002 included 835 adults, aged 18 and older. Dietary patterns were defined by cluster analysis of food group variables, expressed as percentage contribution to total energy intake. Obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) and central obesity by waist circumference. We defined four dietary patterns, each named after the food groups that were most predominant relative to the other clusters: poultry and alcohol, baked products, traditional foodstuffs (such as tacos, tortillas, etc.), and meat. Surprisingly, we did not identify a "healthy pattern" group in this population, as has been generally observed in other ethnic groups. Contrary to our hypothesis, the traditional diet pattern was associated with higher values of BMI and waist circumference. More details on possible changes within the traditional pattern associated with availability of foods and industrialization, including use of fast food vs. home-prepared Mexican foods, are needed to better understand the observed association with obesity.

Comparison and evaluation of dietary quality between older and younger Mexican-American women

“…The latter system has been reported to overestimate whole grains intake, which concomitantly may result in underestimation of refined grains than when using the MyPyramid Equivalents Database (36) ; (ii) the present study included Mexican-American women only. In general, Hispanics have been reported to have higher dietary quality and consume more dietary fibre than individuals from other ethnic backgrounds (3,7,17) . Participants from both groups in the current study achieved the maximum score for total protein intake, as has been reported for the general US population (17,63) .…”

“…Poor dietary quality may be a major contributor to these disparities. Available surveillance data on dietary composition suggest that, as for other ethnic groups, the diet of Mexican-American adults is in need of improvement, as indicated by reports of high intakes of solid fats, cholesterol, added sugars and sugarsweetened beverages, and low intakes of vitamins D and E, Ca and K, whole grains, dairy products, dark greens and highly coloured vegetables (3)(4)(5)(6)(7) . Different ethnic subgroups have culture-bound patterns of food purchase, preparation and eating (8) , all of which can be affected by environmental resources (e.g.…”

Avaliação dos marcadores de consumo alimentar do VIGITEL (2007-2009)

“…As to the second approach, cluster analysis (in groups) 10,11 and factorial analysis, or principal components analysis [12][13][14] , have been more frequently reported in literature. The main difference among them is that the cluster analysis gathers individuals, while the factorial analysis gathers variables.…”

Fast-food and sweetened beverage consumption: association with overweight and high waist circumference in adolescents

“…Some epidemiological studies have shown an effect of sweetened beverages or fast-food consumption on BMI and waist circumference (WC) (26)(27)(28) . Some adolescent *Corresponding author: Email jvdbroeck1959@gmail.com r The Authors 2009 surveys have found a significant positive relationship between soft drink consumption and overweight (boys only) and obesity (23,29) , whereas others have not (19)(20)(21)(22) . The Westernized type of diet has become increasingly common among adolescents in developing countries and may be implicated in the emerging regional obesity epidemic.…”