Moms like their children to eat. That’s universal, right? Especially during festivals and holidays, the mom mantra is "eat, eat, eat!" For immigrant families, that "mom-tra" can be powerful and relentless. I remember battles with my mother over the dinner table as she cajoled me to continue eating long after I was full. To refuse her would be an insult. If your parents, like my mom, experienced starvation or a war-torn family history, then having plenty of food for your children is a mandate — a sign of wealth, prosperity, and proper parenting.

When people immigrate to a new country, they may not have access to the food they’re used to eating. Many also might not have an opportunity to get as much physical exercise as they once did. That’s what happened to me when we changed from being a military family in a Japanese neighborhood near Tokyo to living in rural America surrounded by blackberry bushes, thistles, and a busy highway. There was no access to the physical activity we had previously, so I started gaining weight during puberty and it evolved into a lifelong weight problem.

My mom tried to find us the kind of food we were used to — rice and vegetables — but it was a struggle, especially during the winter. It was even more of a challenge when we didn’t have the income that my father’s military job once provided.

At one point, we were on a government food program, which consisted of canned meat, processed American cheese, and a whole bunch of grains we were not used to eating. My dad was accustomed to the bulgur wheat, rolled oats, and millet — especially with lots of sugar and butter. They were familiar foods for him back in Oklahoma. Although one would think those are healthy whole grains, my brother and I were raised in Asia and we were not used to those types of calories. When my parents found better paying jobs, a sign of wealth for us was to buy name-brand packaged food such as Frosted Flakes cereal, Doritos chips, and Hostess Twinkies.

The new diet and lack of exercise led me to weight issues I’ve fought throughout my life with only occasional success. The last time I was thin was about 10 years ago, before I was taking care of my mom and commuting from Portland to Eugene every few days. The lack of strenuous exercise took its toll and I gained weight. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it is more difficult to lose weight.

For much of my life, I’ve felt my size was the least Asian part of me. There’s an assumption that leads people to believe that Asians are thin and the least susceptible to obesity. That was certainly true with my mother, who was petite and always about 99 pounds. But it appears the notion that Asians are naturally resistant to weight gain is changing. A recent study in Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., reveals some startling changes to the concept that Asians are at low risk for obesity.

The article, "Prevalence of Obesity Among Young Asian-American Children," features weight measurements of Asian-American four-year-olds, stating "26 percent were overweight or obese and 13 percent were obese."

The study had several ethnic categories: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, and Other Asian and Pacific Islander. It found that while "Chinese-American children were at lower risk of overweight or obesity (23.5 percent) than whites (36 percent), Asian-Indian American children had the lowest rates (15.6 percent) and were the most likely to be underweight. In contrast, Vietnamese-American children had the highest rate of overweight or obesity (34.7 percent)." The Other Asian and Pacific Islander category was the second highest at 29.8 percent.

From the study, it seems there is a direct correlation in education and obesity. Children of mothers with less than a high school education had the highest rates of obesity or overweight (37 percent), which is significantly higher than those with a post-bachelor’s degree (21.8 percent). Income levels were also contributing factors in the study and "families at the highest income levels had a much lower risk of obesity and overweight compared to those living below 100 percent poverty."

Another report from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) found that "first-generation (foreign-born) 10- to 17-year-old Asian-American children had a higher prevalence of obesity than whites, and that second-generation children had the lowest prevalence at 6.3 percent."

It appears that low-income immigrant children are at greatest risk for obesity. But what’s most shocking to me is that it’s happening to four-year-old children.

This is thought-provoking news as the holiday season is upon us. It’s worth taking a moment to think about what we are putting on the dinner table. I knew it would have been beneficial for my health if my mom had not encouraged me to eat everything set before me and had we, as a family, been encouraged to exercise together. It would also have been helpful to not have so much oil, fat, and processed food when I was growing up.

As a working-class immigrant child, I would have benefitted from the information contained in this study. I hope it will encourage healthier lifestyles for Asian families today. Perhaps it’s time to ponder if it’s wise to focus so much on eating as we do, not just during the holidays, but also in everyday culture.

To learn more about the article in Childhood Obesity, visit <www.liebertpub.com/chi>.