BY ERICA KOCHER Downtown Apia, the urban capital of the Independent State of Samoa, complete with a McDonald’s. Source: Jason Argo, Flickr. The Pacific Islands, sometimes known as Oceania, include the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. These three regions encompass tens of thousands of islands, each of which has a distinct culture. Although Oceania … Continue reading A Legacy of Imperialism: Health Disparities in the Pacific
Tag: obesity
Job and Food Insecurity in Coastal Ecuador
BY EMMA RYAN Over the past decade, rates of diet-related illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension have risen noticeably in coastal Ecuador.1 In this region, essentially every meal consists of a plate that is half filled with rice and half filled with fried fish, with maybe a few slices of cucumber and tomato on the … Continue reading Job and Food Insecurity in Coastal Ecuador
United States: Food Advertising and the Rise of Childhood Obesity
BY CARLIN SHERIDAN In 2013, the American Medical Association formally recognized obesity as a disease for the first time. This designation attempted to combat the widely held misconception that obesity results from simply eating too much or exercising too little.1 Over the past four decades, obesity rates among U.S. teenagers have quadrupled, and … Continue reading United States: Food Advertising and the Rise of Childhood Obesity
China: The Not-So-Sweet Rise of Type II Diabetes
BY MICHAEL MARCEL In 1987, KFC brought its signature fried chicken to Beijing, becoming the first Western fast food chain to open its doors in Mainland China. By 2011, the number of KFCs in China had grown to over 3,000 across 650 cities, with one new restaurant opened per day.1 McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and other … Continue reading China: The Not-So-Sweet Rise of Type II Diabetes