Adherence
Immigrants experience a deterioration in nutritional health and increased risk of chronic conditions (obesity, diabetes, hypertension) as duration of stay in the host country increases, a phenomenon termed the loss of the Healthy Immigrant Effect.
For immigrants, health risks increase the longer you stay in a new country due to dietary shifts. To counter this, actively maintain traditional healthy foods while learning to navigate the new food environment. Focus on accessing traditional ingredients and understanding how to adapt them to local nutritional standards to prevent the 'acculturation penalty' on health.
immigrants tend to experience a rapid deterioration in their general health status after settlement in Canada due to lifestyle changes including patterns of physical activity and dietary habits... The impact of acculturation can be more significant than changes in diet or physical activity, and may increase the risk of obesity across generations.
Why this rating
Based on a scoping review of 49 studies, mostly observational, showing consistent trends across multiple cohorts.
Source
Acculturation and Nutritional Health of Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review
Dia Sanou et al. · Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health · 2013
DOI 10.1007/s10903-013-9823-7
More from this paper
- Maintaining traditional ethnic diets can offer protective nutritional benefits (e.g., higher fruit/vegetable intake, plant-based proteins) but may also introduce risks (e.g., high sodium, saturated fats) if traditional foods are substituted with processed versions available in the host country.Good
- Socioeconomic status (SES), food insecurity, and lack of social support are significant drivers of unhealthy dietary transitions and health deterioration in immigrants, often overriding cultural preferences.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →