Cultural factors associated with overweight and obesity

Abstract

The value that human beings give to food is an element that characterizes them, the set of customs and traditions that historically have been built socially, are the framework that subjects people to behaviors and habits in relation to it: from how the dish to choose is conceived, the choice of the same, the collection of ingredients and utensils needed, how it is prepared, how it is served and how it is eaten. Food knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation, becoming a component that is part of people’s lives and, therefore, a cultural element of a community, region or country. It is in food where nature and culture come together, because although eating is a vital need, what, when and with whom to eat are aspects that are part of a system full of meanings (Pérez Gil, 2009), which have endowed dishes and culinary practices with value and history, and also maintain cohesion, sense of belonging and identity of those who attribute this symbolic meaning, because it is also associated with celebrations, religious rituals or important events, turning out to be a way of expressing emotions. Therefore, this paper aims to review how the act of eating has a great influence on health, when it is not healthy and balanced, causing a series of diseases, among them, obesity and overweight.