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Foreign Weight: New Food Environments as Weight Change Estimates for Expats
Author(s) -
Missbach Benjamin,
König Jürgen,
Wansink Brian
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.962.10
Subject(s) - anthropometry , body weight , environmental health , china , food choice , psychology , gerontology , medicine , geography , archaeology , pathology
Besides language barriers and new cultural codes, a change in daily eating habits occur when moving to a new country. People need to adapt their eating practice as a consequence of being exposed to a new food environment, new foods, new social networks, new eating norms, new lifestyle. Changes in body weight of incoming foreigners (expats) can be a valid estimate for the obesogenic potential of different food environments. To address this important research question, we applied a cross‐sectional study design using online questionnaires among expats (N = 600) moving from and moving to three different countries (USA, Germany, China). Inclusion criteria were visit duration (> 3 months stay) and age (> 21 years). Dependent variables included sociodemographics, body anthropometrics, and questions related to eating behavior and lifestyle. Analyses will be presented on self‐reported body weight changes, what countries had the greatest impact and what lead to these changes according to self‐reported eating and lifestyle behavior. The results of this study will inform us about the potential of certain food environments to promote or prevent changes in body weight and help future expats with their weight management.