Immigrants indulge in junk food eating to fit in-Study

United States, 9th May: More and more immigrants coming to the US are eating junk food and other fatty foods and matching American obesity levels within a span of 15 years of their stay in the US.

This has been revealed by a recent study by an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington and the leading author of the study, Sapna Cheryan.

Immigrants want to ape Americans--The study has found that its not simply the love for junk or the abundant presence of American fatty food that seems to be overwhelming on the minds of the immigrants to the US, in fact, it’s their feeling to become like Americans that compels to indulge in junk food eating, the study reiterates.

Immigrant feel they need to change their eating habits in a bid to fit in to the American way of life, adds Cheryan.

Immigrants want to look like Americans and for them, food happens to be a way to show identity with ‘Americanness’, the study findings seem to suggest.

No wonder, higher numbers of immigrants don’t give a second thought to linking American junk foods with their desire to look like their American counterparts.

Agrees co-author of the study, Maya Guendelman, who says her mother used to pack her wanting lunches during her childhood to make her feel more like Americans. Kids are really conscious and don’t want to get singled out. So, indulging into burger and pizza culture in the US is quite natural, admits an immigration expert based in Vancouver, Nick Noorani.

Unhealthy US foods result in poorer health—Cheryan cautions the immigrants aping the American junk eating saying such unhealthy eating habits are likely to result in bad health. Several health studies have proved the point that the main reason behind deteriorating health levels of immigrants from Asia, South America, Central America and Africa is the bad diet. The health of immigrants worsens with their stay in the US.

Study involved white and Asian-American college students—Survey was done on white and Asian-American college students to know about their childhood food habits. It was found that around 68 percent of Asian-Americans admitted having insecurities relating to food around American peers. In contrast, the rate of food-related insecurities among white Americans was just 27 percent, the study maintains.