Those Extra Pounds Can Weigh Heavily On Your Health At both national and local levels, Latino organizations, government agencies and businesses are teaming up to sound the alarm among Latinas about the harmful health effects that being overweight and obese are having on their families. Nearly two of every three Latinas are overweight or obese according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This unhealthy trend, which raises the risk of developing several diseases is casting its shadow not only on Latinas but, also on the youngest members of their families. Betsy Rodriguez, public health advisor for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta points to the warning signals. “In the past we didn’t have Type 2 diabetes in children. Now we’re seeing it at age two and four.” In some studies reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the percentage of children who have Type 2 diabetes rose from less than 5 percent before 1994, to 20-30 percent after 1994.

The prevalence of the incidence of overweight among Hispanic children is higher than the overall pediatric population. And the prevalence of obesity among Hispanic adults is higher than that of the overall population.

Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that nearly two out of three adults (64.5 percent) in the U.S. are overweight or obese; among Hispanics, the rate is even higher. Nearly three out of four Hispanic adults (73.4 percent) in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

Maria G. Aguirre, M.D., physician in charge at Kaiser Permanente in California’s Coachella Valley, uses the body mass index (BMI) to determine whether a person is overweight or obese. “At this point, the patient is at risk and we keep an eye on their weight,” she says.

The National Latina Health Network (NLHN), based in Washington D.C., has been working through a collaborative network to help eliminate health disparities among Latinas through prevention strategies. While NLHN does not categorize overweight and obesity as separate health issues, they are a common denominator in the majority of their health campaigns and efforts.
“We do deal with overweight and obesity because it’s a risk factor in diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and breathing problems,” explains Marisol Morales, senior communications manager for NLHN.

Indeed, the leading causes of death for Latinos include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, all of which share being overweight and obese as high risk factors.

She also notes that eating low-fat food and reducing the number of calories per day is important coupled with thirty minutes of physical activity such as brisk walking, riding a bike, or playing soccer with the kids.

Echoing the remarks of a member of a recent focus group, Rodriguez stresses, “Diabetes doesn’t have to be our destiny. There is always something they can do.”

One of the most common and deadly complication of diabetes is heart disease. The San Antonio Heart Study found that for both Latinos and Latinas, those with diabetes had higher rates of heart disease deaths and all other deaths than those without diabetes.

“Being overweight is a risk factor in different conditions including heart disease, the number one killer of Latinas in the U.S.” says Morales. “Heart disease, along with stroke, accounts for one third of deaths among Latinas. That’s more than cancer.”
Apart from having diabetes, the chances for having heart disease and a heart attack escalate as an individual’s body mass index (BMI) increases. “It causes plaque in the arteries that can lead to a stroke, heart attack or high blood pressure,” warns Dr. Aguirre. “The heart has to work overtime to support the rest of the body.” Often referred to as the “silent killer” because it usually shows no symptoms, high blood pressure increases the risk for both heart disease and stroke. Among Mexican-American adults with high blood pressure, only about half (49.8 percent) are aware of their condition and are less likely to have their hypertension under control (17.3 percent) compared to non-Hispanic blacks (29.8 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (29.8 percent) with high blood pressure.

Leading a healthy lifestyle can begin as early as a woman’s pregnancy. Dr. Aguirre points out the importance of women’s beliefs about the proper amount of weight gain during pregnancy. “Twenty-five to thirty pounds is acceptable weight gain during pregnancy,” she says. “The more you have gained [during pregnancy], the harder it is to get rid of it. It’s good to be in good shape before you get pregnant.” “Extra girth in childhood could set the stage for a lifetime risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, liver problems and depression,” says Dr. Aguirre. Working in a predominantly Latino community, Dr. Aguirre faces a daily challenge of overcoming some cultural barriers to healthy weight. “There is a cultural myth that babies should be robust,” she sighs. “I have to tell them I’m trying to help their baby keep away from health risks.” People who are overweight or obese also have a greater chance of having gallstones. “Hispanics are already at risk with a genetic vein for these problems. I even see young girls and boys with gallbladder disease and stones,” says Dr. Aguirre. “Weight adds to that because of fatty foods. When they have a gallstone attack, which is very painful, it’s usually associated with eating a fatty dish.”

Husband Elias and Cecilia Hernandez before weight loss

“There are two types of risk factors,” says Morales. “Those you can’t change like your family history, age, and then there are those risk factors you can change like your weight, physical inactivity, whether you smoke or not. Taking control of those risk factors that you can change can make a big difference in your health.”

There are several free resources including recipes for Latino foods, workout music, and bilingual materials that have been created by the CDC’s National Diabetes Education Program and the National Institute of Health.

Marisol Morales, senior communications manager for the National Latina Health Network

Betsy Rodriguez, public health adivser at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addressing audience on issue of prevention of diabetes through healthy lifestyles

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Healthy Recipes and resources
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/index.htm#recipes

National Diabetes Education Program Paso a Paso……Prevengamos la diabetes tipo 2…Paso a Paso
http://www.ndep.nih.gov
1-888-693-6337

Weight-control Information Network (a national service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), of the National Institutes of Health)— Bilingual brochures/booklets for adults and Teens on healthy food options, portion size, physical activity, snacks etc… http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/index.htm#public

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
1-800- CDC-INFO (232-4636)

 

BMI AND WEIGHT CIRCUMFERENCE INFORMATION A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. You can also find your weight group on the chart online. The chart applies to all adults. The higher weights in the healthy range apply to people with more muscle and bone, such as men. Even within the healthy range, weight gain could increase your risk for health problems. (See chart on website: http://win.niddk.nih.gov) Find your weight on the bottom of the graph. Go straight up from that point until you come to the line that matches your height. Then look to find your weight group. The higher your BMI is over 25, the greater chance you may have of developing health problems. * Without shoes **Without clothes Source: Weight-control Information Network

Waist circumference Excess weight, as measured by BMI, is not the only risk to your health. So is the location of fat on your body. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs. This is true even if your BMI falls within the normal range. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because of where their fat lies. To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hip bone. Be sure that the tape is snug, but does not compress your skin, and is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale, and measure your waist. Source: Weight-control Information Network How much weight should I gain during my pregnancy? Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy. General weight-gain recommendations listed below refer to weight before pregnancy and are for women expecting only one baby. If you are: You should gain: Underweight about 28 to 40 pounds Normal weight about 25 to 35 pounds Overweight about 15 to 25 pounds Obese at least 15 pounds Source: Weight-control Information Network

By Myrna Gutierrez