Analysis of High-Risk Nutritional Behaviors Across Various Cultures

This essay delves into the significant influence of culture on individual nutritional behaviors across the globe. It highlights how cultural traditions, belief systems, and historical perspectives shape eating habits, leading to both beneficial and high-risk dietary practices. The paper examines specific examples of high-risk nutritional behaviors in various cultures, including the consumption of junk food among African Americans, binge feeding in Mexican culture, and the preference for specific cooking methods in Chinese culture. It explores the impact of lifestyle factors, such as busy schedules and stress, on these behaviors. The essay also discusses the interplay between mainstream and ethnic cultures, particularly for groups like African Americans, and how these interactions can influence health behaviors. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering personal, social, and physical environmental factors when addressing nutritional behaviors and health inequalities within cultural groups. References are included to support the findings and arguments presented in the essay.

Nutritional Behaviour 1
High-risk nutritional behaviours associated with different cultures
The practice related to the nutrition has changed dramatically around the globe.
Culture plays a very vital role in shaping the nutritional behaviour of the individuals. The
eating behaviours which an individual develops are relative to social, biological and
physiological derived from the traditions, culture and to the environment were the individual
is exposed (Moallemi, 2014). An important phase of nutritional tradition is that they enclose
an immense influence on the individual's health (Abasi & Mohammadkhani, 2016). Though
various cultures encompass a number of dietary behaviour that endorses good health, may
have the practices related to high-risk. Such tradition is largely connected with certain
elements of culture such as belief systems ad historical perspectives (Dehghan Dehnavi,
Parsamehr & Naseri, 2014). In this paper will discuss the high-risk nutritional behaviour that
is associated with the different cultures.
Such nutritional behaviours are adopted in the early stages of life among the Southeast Asian
and developed gradually form the adolescent age till adulthood. The risky nutritional
behaviours act are damaging to the individual as they result to cause the public health
restricted access of this result increased cost in campaigns and health (Sutfin, 2009). The
individuals of Indochinese are in great way affected by the different chronic disease which is
due to the result of risk nutritional behaviours that are adopted among the individuals from
various cultures (Samadypoor & Kord Tamini, 2016). Planing for the interventions related to
the nutritional behaviour is crucial; however, the initial step is to understand the behaviour
related to the risky nutritional habits among the different culture around the globe (Noori &
Ahmadipour, 2016).

Nutritional Behaviour 2
Over the precedent years, the majority of youth and children in African American culture
include the gradually more developed habit of consuming junk food. The culture of racism
and pervasive are certain factors which are responsible for risk nutritional behaviour among
the Indigenous Australians (Dehghan Dehnavi, Parsamehr & Naseri, 2014). Nevertheless, no
clear belief systems or historical perspectives that impacted the tradition of consuming junk
food. This resulted in obesity among the population of American since the era of the 80s and
is estimated that this number has been tripled at the present time (Keller, 2014). The
discrimination faced by the African Americans, they progressed in a poor environment. The
Mexican culture relates to the binge feeding where the individual is overfeed and is affected
by the bulimia (Keller, 2014). In Mexico, more of the women as compared to men are found
to be effected by bulimia, where the around 1.8 % women and only 0.6% men follow it. The
level of obesity among the individuals is endorsed due to the dietary adoptions and mainly
among the women’s (Noori & Ahmadipour, 2016). The Chinese culture believes to consume
the food that is steamed or only fried. According to them having cold drinks in the diet can
damage their body and may also interrupt the body balance. the Cuban heritage culture under
practices the high risk behaviour which is have the unsafe sex and this is also in a great way
among the young individual which make their body to be more prone towards illness.
The sedentary lifestyle of the people is also concluded as one of the causes for such
nutritional behaviour among the Mexican community (Keller, 2014). Current studies of the
effects and causes of such tradition made known that this is very much prejudiced by
education, family roles, advertisements, and availability. In the olden times, the youth and the
children are to eat the healthy and fresh food that is prepared at home and now the hectic
schedule the people more prefer the junk food (Bakhshani, 2014). Shortage of time due to
busy schedules of education and challenging careers of the parents are one of the major
causes for the risky nutritional behaviour among the individuals. Such eating behaviour

Nutritional Behaviour 3
resulted in an increased prevelance of the obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes
(Bakhshani, 2014).
Historical perspectives and belief systems of these cultures that influence
the high-risk nutritional behaviors.
The American youth follows the different culture which is associated with certain
high-risk nutritional behaviours. The frequent practices amongst them consist of overeating,
alcohol consumption and smoking. The reason for such behaviours is basically lifestyle-
related. Though, they contain a constituent of chronological belief or perception (Lewis,
Boutrin, Dalrymple & McNeill, 2017). Number of indulging in smoking and alcohol
consumption as a result of the stressful lifestyles both at home and work (Haque, 2014). The
conception that drinking alcohol and smoking help to alleviate stress and put off over
thinking that is support for the historical belief system and perception. The overeating in a
great way contributes as a result of the profusion of food. Certain adults consume at what
time they are tensed, stressed or time enjoying with family and friends. This results in the
excess consumption as required (Haque, 2014).
It is recognized widely that culture results in shaping the consumption of the food and
physical activities of the individuals, as culture represents a certain set of values, traditions,
social norms, conducting things and to engage with the humanity that is spread across
generations and manipulate behaviours. Individuals’ physical and social environment
changes, the influence of culture and also itself the culture can be changed as well (Swierad,
Vartanian & King, 2017). Therefore, it is also significant to distinguish that culture
exemplifies not only the fixed but also flowing traits. Since African Americans are in the
right place together with the mainstream and ethnic cultures and exposed certain sets of
cultural norms that surround physical activity and food intake. Such numerous cultural norms

Nutritional Behaviour 4
are able to potentially contain negative or positive pressure on individual health behaviours.
The negative influence is associated with the thought that different culture norms can
argument with each other. The cultural norms influence health behaviours, bicultural groups,
such African Americans, may be at the same time exposed to discrepant intellectual lifestyle-
related custom, and such norms unfavourably affect the physical activity and food intake
(Swierad, Vartanian & King, 2017). There is also possible positive influence of mainstream
and ethnic cultures on one’s wellbeing, and this is connected to the thought that bicultural
persons may have additional access and knowledge related to health behaviours that are
appreciated in such cultures and shaping the health practices (Swierad, Vartanian & King,
2017).
Conclusion:
The nutritional behaviours of African Americans are as a result of the economic and
health inequality among such cultural group. African Americans are unreasonably more
likely as compared to White Americans to experience an issue such as negotiation access to
healthy food, restricted access of the desired places for the physical activity and squat
affordability of nutritious food, and such factors impact the likelihood to engage in nutritional
behaviours (Debnam, 2012). Therefore, the nutritional behaviours of African Americans
require being observed in the framework of personal factors, persons instant social
environment, and physical environment.

Nutritional Behaviour 5
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Nutritional Behaviour 6
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