SITE:Elma Dieppa lost her cousin to diabetes at the age of 44, saying "This is the problem within the Hispanic community, we love our curves, but the line between beautiful and deadly curves is blurred." And it seems Dieppa's observation is incredibly astute; while much of the world is getting heavier, many Latina's particularly have fallen into a cultural perception gap, where health problem and beauty diverge. A study found 25% of overweight Latina's thought they were "normal" weight, while only 15% of non-Latino women felt the same. For a cultural that loves and respects the femininity of curves, the issue becomes a double-edged sword where there is less pressure on maintaining a healthy weight. Latino's also identify themselves as self-reliant, with many saying they have had "zero visits" to the doctor. In turn, the rate of cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, heart attack and other weight related problems grows in the Hispanic community. Another reason, of course, is the overwhelming lack of proper health insurance for treatment and preventive medicine, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimating 1 in every 3 Hispanics don't have health insurance. The article also looks at other psychological and cultural factors in play, such as different diets after immigrating, valuing the needs of the family over the self. While both Hispanic culture and culture at large can be applauded for not chasing unrealistic perceptions of beauty, ignoring or editing our perceptions of healthy can be just as dangerous.
ARTICLE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/health/latino-cardiovascular-disparities/
