Key Takeaways
More often than ever before, people travel around the globe or permanently change their place of residence by emigrating to new, unfamiliar countries. An indispensable aspect of emigration is the inevitable adaptation to new living conditions, modification of the prevailing lifestyle, and sometimes the unavoidable necessity to change dietary habits, resulting from the new culture and the availability of certain food products.
Dietary adaptation in the context of migration: mechanisms and determinants of nutritional change among immigrants
Dietary acculturation represents a multifaceted sociocultural phenomenon wherein individuals relocating to new environments gradually adjust their established food preferences, consumption patterns, and attitudes toward nutrition under the influence of their surroundings. Consider, for instance, a Polish national resettling in Japan: prolonged exposure to local food products, restricted access to traditional Polish ingredients, and the absence of restaurants serving native cuisine may collectively induce a gradual transformation of their dietary habits. The extent and pace of these modifications depend primarily on the migrant’s individual characteristics; however, empirical research consistently demonstrates that most immigrants—to varying degrees—adopt elements of the host country’s dietary model, whether in full or in part [1]. Educational attainment plays a pivotal role in this process: individuals with higher levels of formal education exhibit greater willingness to modify their eating habits compared to their less-educated counterparts [2]. Particularly susceptible to change are younger generations, long-term migrants, and those fluent in the language of the host nation. Additional catalysts for dietary acculturation include limited availability of foods from the country of origin, alterations in their quality or composition, higher prices, and the time-consuming nature of preparing traditional meals. For example, studies of adult Korean immigrants in the United States revealed a preference for American-style breakfasts due to their convenience, while dinners often featured Korean dishes. The adaptation process is further accelerated by the absence of local eateries offering cuisine from the homeland, as well as by personal motivation to embrace new culinary customs.
Preservation of traditional dietary patterns in a foreign cultural environment
The concept of dietary enculturation represents the antithesis of acculturation in the context of eating behaviors. It involves the deliberate rejection and non-adoption of culinary traditions and dietary norms prevalent in the host country to which an individual has relocated. This stance is most commonly observed among short-term migrants, individuals with lower income and educational attainment, elderly populations, and those facing linguistic barriers that hinder full integration into the local community.
However, maintaining an enculturated dietary approach presents numerous challenges. It can lead to social isolation and a sense of alienation from the new cultural environment, thereby complicating the formation of social bonds. An additional difficulty arises from consuming traditional dishes from one’s country of origin, which may be perceived by the surrounding community as exotic, unfamiliar, or even unacceptable, further exacerbating feelings of otherness.
Cultural adaptation processes: The interplay between acculturation and inculturation – how environmental change impacts health and lifestyle
Both the processes of acculturation and inculturation can yield either beneficial or detrimental outcomes for an individual, with the decisive factor shaping the nature of these changes being not only the country of origin but also the destination country to which the person relocates permanently. For instance, a U.S. citizen who has hitherto adhered to the typical American dietary pattern—characterized by excessive consumption of high-calorie, fatty foods coupled with insufficient intake of vegetables and fruits—may experience substantial improvements in health status and life expectancy upon moving to East Asian countries and adopting local culinary traditions. The East Asian diet, distinguished by its low fat content, moderate portion sizes, and abundance of raw fish, rice, and vegetables, demonstrates a markedly more favorable impact on the body compared to the standard American diet, effectively reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Conversely, the reverse scenario—wherein an individual from Japan, accustomed to a health-conscious diet, emigrates to the United States and assimilates the less salutary local eating habits—entails a deterioration in health metrics. Empirical research confirms that the majority of migrants gradually adopt the dietary patterns of the host society. When migration involves replacing harmful habits with healthier alternatives, the phenomenon is highly desirable. However, if previously established, health-promoting practices are supplanted by less beneficial ones, the consequences of such a transformation must be deemed unfavorable from a medical perspective.
