Mexican Americans

In the United States, overweight and obesity are common in many minority ethnic and racial groups. The populations where this is especially true are among Mexican American and black (non-Hispanic) adults. They are considerably more likely to be overweight or obese than white (non-Hispanic) adults. In adult men, Mexican Americans have the highest rate of overweight and obesity among ethnic and racial groups in the United States. In adult women, blacks (non-Hispanic) are the only racial ethnic group that have a higher rate of overweight and obesity than Mexican Americans. The problem of obesity is made worse due to the fact that abdominal fat is the most common fat distribution pattern among Mexican Americans. This fat distribution pattern is more commonly associated with the obesity comorbidities. This is especially true for metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. Even leaner subjects with this fat distribution pattern have been found to be at higher risk for these comorbidities.

This may be one reason why overweight and obese Mexican Americans are at a greater risk for comorbidities. Being overweight or obese and being Mexican American has been shown to be a greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. In addition to the fat distribution pattern, recent research has shown that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with Type 2 diabetes. These single nucleotide polymorphisms have been found at a greater rate in certain Mexican American populations. This suggests that there is a genetic component that increases the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among Mexican Americans.

It is not only Mexican American adult populations that have a higher rate of overweight and obesity. Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that Mexican American adolescents are at a greater risk for adverse health outcomes, compared to youth of other racial and ethnic groups. The prevalence of overweight was 40.9 percent and obesity 22.9 percent in Mexican-Americans ages 12 years to 19 years. For most ages, males had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than females. One in every three Mexican-American male adolescents was obese. Some of the factors associated with overweight and obesity [Page 463]among Mexican Americans include being from a low-income family, having a history of asthma, high blood pressure, perceiving oneself as being less physically active compared to one's peers, and not being in excellent health. Overweight adolescents often reported a lowered caloric intake than their non-overweight counterparts. However, people who are overweight or obese often underreport their caloric intake. There is no evidence to suggest that this is not the case in Mexican American adolescents. Difficulty in accurately counting calories may be a reason that people become overweight or obese.

Previous studies concerning immigrant populations have suggest that American cultural norms, values, and practices, may contribute negatively to several health outcomes, one example of which is poor eating habits. Compared to second- or first-generation Mexican American adolescents, third-generation Mexican American adolescents experience excessive health disparities. These findings have been shown to be true even when controlling for economic circumstances. These findings present an epidemiological paradox.

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