The reason behind focusing on the family is that traditionally Hispanics place more of an emphasis on the well-being of the family versus the well-being of the individual (NCBI, n.d.). Therefore the idea would be to create a healthy diet course that would involve the entire family to positively affect change, and allow …show more content…
The role of family is so important in the Hispanic culture, that the most effective way to change the dynamic of obesity is to help educate the whole family, starting with the mother. Mother’s need to be the catalyst for change, because if they are obese then there is a correlation to allowed food intake in their children (Danford, Schultz, & Marvicsin, 2015, p. 43). The mother’s role as an enabler and nurturer would be the cornerstone to changing the culture. If the mother is bought into the change then the family would follow her example. The necessity to change perception on what a healthy body image is vital to affect the culture. The positive perception that needs to be reinforced is how physical activity can lead to increased physical ability. This is important in young Hispanic children (Taverno Ross & Francis, 2016, p. 5), and should be reinforced throughout childhood so a healthy diet goes hand in hand with a routine amount of physical …show more content…
Two challenges that are at the forefront are language barriers and socioeconomic status (DuBard & Gizlice, 2008, p. 2025). Language is a significant issue when trying to introduce health education to a culture. Were the words translated correctly? Health education without accounting for language does nothing at all. The need for skilled, medically certified translators is an absolute. If the importance of the health education program is not articulated correctly in the cultures native language then there is a potential for something to be lost. The second challenge would be socioeconomic status. The fact is that it costs more money to eat a healthy diet than it take to eat unhealthy (Harvard, 2013). This puts anyone in a lower socioeconomic class at a significant disadvantage, because when monetary choices need to be made, it’s easier to choose to eat the cheaper, faster unhealthy food. Creative methods to overcoming the monetary factor need to be taken into account. Where can cuts be made elsewhere to allow the family to buy and eat healthy food? Are there other alternatives to a certain ingredient that can be changed with little to no monetary