The U.S. is one of the different countries with a diverse cultural background because of the high population of immigrants settling in the developed nation. In this regard, foreign population groups in the U.S. are exposed to a new way of life that influences their dietary options. Surprisingly, the article indicates that newly arrived Spanish immigrants are healthier than their counterparts who settled in the country. Therefore, reviewing the approaches that should promote cultural competence can expose individuals to beneficial outcomes that boost their health status.
Critique
Acculturation and the compelling desire to adopt the American lifestyle to fit in the new environment exposes immigrant communities to a wide range of health risks that interfere with their health status. In the article, the author stresses the importance of cultural competence to increase the public knowledge on the best eating habits that can influence the lifestyle of individuals to avoid conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases (Eilender, 2016). The author believes that cultural competence will be instrumental in accommodating different views on life expressed by individuals across the U.S. regardless of their cultural background to overcome the lifestyle diseases.
Conclusion
Evaluating the approaches that should promote cultural competence can expose individuals to health outcomes that enhance their health status. On many occasions, scholars ignore the impact of cultural beliefs and values when studying the causes of obesity and the approaches that individuals should embrace to lead a healthy lifestyle. Given the cosmopolitan nature of the U.S., there is a need for government institutions to develop measures that cut across different population groups and their focus in the contemporary world. Creating an enabling environment that achieves cultural competence will act as a perfect starting point where the conversation can be held to boost health outcomes in the U.S. and beyond.
