Obesity is a sign of good health in some cultures

Respond to discussion

Include citations/Use in text citation where needed

All sources must be 5 years old or newer

Only needs to be about a paragraph long

More like a discussion rather than a paper

Please add to the discussion in your peer responses with informative responses, instead of posts similar to “great idea! I really agree with you.”

Each response needs to have a citation

 

POST 1 (Melanie)

The culture I chose to discuss is the Hispanic culture. One of the services offered at the health fair is the focus of high cholesterol levels. According to the CDC, Mexican American men have the highest incidence of high LDL cholesterol levels (Salamon, 2019). Hispanics are also less likely to have their blood cholesterol levels checked (Salamon, 2019). Cardiovascular diseases are the number 2 cause of death for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and Western world (Balfour, Ruiz, Talavera, Allison, & Rodriguez, 2016).

High cholesterol can be reduced and prevented by a healthy lifestyle. This topic can be addressed by providing information about the health risks and concerns high cholesterol can have. By educating individuals on self- care such as exercising, healthy diets, and smoking cessation, they will be encouraged to have their blood cholesterol levels checked as well. Patient education is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to provide awareness of one’s condition.

 

References

 

Balfour, P. C., Jr, Ruiz, J. M., Talavera, G. A., Allison, M. A., & Rodriguez, C. J. (2016). Cardiovascular Disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. Journal of Latina/o psychology, 4(2), 98–113. doi:10.1037/lat0000056. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4943843/?report=classic

 

Salamon, M. (2019). The connection between race and high cholesterol. Verywell Health. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/race-and-cholesterol-is-there-a-connection-698285

 

POST 2 (Judy)

Understanding different cultures is imperative for nurses to provide high quality care to their patients.  We may not always agree on ways that patients see and receive their care, but understanding what their beliefs are and their level of health literacy ensures that we have the autonomy of our patients as well as their best interests at heart.  There are times, however, that we need to educate ourselves on the best ways to approach certain health disparities with different cultures.  At the Neighborhood’s “Health Fair Welcomes All,” there will be a program that addresses obesity. Some cultures view obesity as a sign of good health.

In the Caribbean culture, obesity is viewed as a sign of good health.  In a case study of an obese woman from Barbados, her doctor started her on Metformin for a new diagnosis of diabetes. After several weeks of being on the medication, she returned to her doctor, upset that she was losing weight.  Although her blood glucose as well as her blood pressure had improved since her last visit, she felt that losing weight made her less appealing to her husband and did not understand how it positively affected her health overall (Sharma, 2012, para. 3).  In order to effectively educate her as well as other women from similar cultures, it is important for nurses to understand how obesity or other health issues are viewed by each individual culture.  It may be helpful to offer a “weight management” program to them as opposed to a “weight loss” program.  They may deem it as important for them to maintain their current weight and figure, so having the ability to offer them healthy food options to maintain their weight and preventing them from gaining more weight may be an option to approach.  It is always important to maintain that level of autonomy and forming a trusting relationship with the patients and giving them the ability to directly participate in their care.

The importance of understanding a patient’s culture as well as understanding their level of health literacy is essential to providing great nursing care. A patient’s culture can greatly influence how they perceive their health care as well as their willingness to be educated regarding better health choices.  As nurses, we have to ensure we consider these issues when providing care.

Reference:

Sharma, A. (2012). Obesity is a sign of good health in some cultures. Retrieved from  https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/01/obesity-sign-good-health-cultures.html