Obesity among New Immigrants in the US: Distribution and Etiologic Process

Overweight and obesity are impending national health concern, accounting for nearly one-sixth of all U.S. deaths in 2000. Most recent statistics shows that more than one-third of adults and one-sixth of children in the U.S. are obese and obesity rates have noticeably increased in all social groups, including immigrants. In particular, the increased immigrant obesity with longer duration of US residence is an important issue to be addressed given the rapid growth of the immigrant population. This research examines the pattern of uneven distribution of immigrant obesity in the broader spectrum of country of origin, acculturation, socioeconomic, and geographic crossroads by comparing different immigrant groups in the U.S. This study used the New Immigrant Survey, a longitudinal study of the nationally representative samples of new immigrants. The study findings present determinants and etiologic processes of obesity among new immigrants related to changes in their physical, social, economic, and normative environments. The issues of immigrant obesity are discussed in the context of three immigration theories – healthy immigrant effect, cultural buffering effect, and acculturation theory. The study results underscore the importance of offering culturally relevant health interventions for different immigrant groups.