Obesity in immigrant children is linked to the socio-economic status of the country from where it migrated from.
That's one of the findings from a recent study conducted by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the ANU College of Health and Medicine in Canberra.
Researcher, Dr Tehzeeb Zulfiqar says the purpose of the research was to find about the obesity levels in migrant children and the possible reasons associated with increased weight.
“I wanted to find out why children from low income and developing countries are having higher levels of obesity compared to Australian counterparts," she told SBS Urdu.
Five thousand children from the age of two years to eleven years took part in the health study.
“The research shows that the risk of overweight and obesity increases with age and is independent of family socioeconomic position," she added.
“At the age of ten to eleven years, one in three children of immigrants from low and middle income countries are overweight and obese compared to national estimate of one in four Australian children.”
“In developing countries, obesity is usually common in high-income families while low income families are that the opposite end.
“Generally the health literacy of parents coming to Australia is lower than the locals. In Australia, discussions on several illnesses and diseases relating to obesity have been discussed on different platforms. People are more conscious weight related diseases such as hyper-tension and diabetes compared to migrants. The countries where migrants come are still focusing on malnutrition.” Dr Zulfiqar said.
Factors leading to obesity in children
The study results challenge a simple socioeconomic or genetic explanation for obesity, and instead identify a likely interplay between cultures of food, weight, gender and health and the experience of immigrants in a developed western country.
High fatty foods and sweetened drinks are consumed by children whether they are from migrant parents or Australians and increase the risk of obesity in children, explained Dr Zulfiqar.
"Immigrant children also have more screen time and participate less in outdoor activities, which also increases their obesity risk." Dr Zulfiqar said.
For the purpose of the study, Australian children and immigrant children were defined in the following way:
Boy sitting on floor watching cartoons in television Source: Moodboard
- Australian children: Mothers and both Australian-born maternal grandparents
- Immigrant children: Mothers or at least one grandparent overseas-born
Immigrant children were further divided into two categories:
- High income – Immigrant children: Australian-born children of mothers or maternal grandparents born in high-income countries
- Low income – Immigrant children: Australian-born children of mothers or maternal grandparents born in low-middle-income countries
The study found out that children of immigrants from low-income countries had the highest levels of obesity from 4 -11 years compared to the Australian children and children of immigrants from high-income countries.
The immigrants from high-income-countries included in the study were from:
Argentina, Albania, Australia, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Fiji, Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan Jordan,, South Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Wales, Yugoslavia.
The immigrants from low-and-middle-income-countries migrated from:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, East Timor, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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