Addressing Cultural Threats To Health

01-08-2007 | Categories:

Culture-Ethnicity

Gordidto Doesn’t Mean Healthy

Gordidto Doesn’t Mean Healthy¹ is targeted toward Latino parents, offering information about the dangers of obesity in children and methods for feeding their children nutritiously without forgoing traditional dishes.

As the Publishers Weekly blurb notes,

In Latino culture, one of the nicest things you can say to a mother about her child is, “Oh, que lindo gordito, what a cute, chubby baby, so strong and healthy!” But a gordito child is likely to suffer diseases that will affect him or her for life: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Nutritionist González and health reporter Alcañiz-mommies both-offer this timely book explaining why it’s imperative that Latino children eat properly, and how the Latino diet (and its flavors and ingredients) can be incorporated into a healthy menu.

The “Latino-Hispanic Food Guide Pyramid” includes traditional foods like jicama, papayas, corn tortillas and avocado; while a section on Latina mothers and breastfeeding debunks myths. Menu suggestions for newborns to 19-year-olds and a section on eating disorders complete this essential guide.

Commentary

Iconoculture, a market research firm, regularly tracks cultural phenomenon that affect economic trends and purchases of good and services. Their take on Gordidto Doesn’t Mean Healthy is that it’s part of a much larger movement within the Latino population of the United States to maintain the essence of their cultural heritage while eliminating certain aspects that are potentially detrimental.

This combination of respect to tradition, sensitivity to an ethnic group, and efforts to improve health being recommended to retailers seems a worthwhile model for healthcare as well.

Footnotes