Community energy balance : a framework for contextualizing cultural influences on high risk of obesity in ethnic minority populations

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and other chronic conditions that cause disability and premature death and increase costs for health care systems (World Health Organization, 2000 and World Health Organization, 2003). It has taken a place alongside hunger and food insecurity as a major global nutrition concern (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2006). Levels of obesity worldwide show steep trajectories in recent decades (Al-Lawati and Jousilahti, 2004, Barr et al., 2006, Fezeu et al., 2007, Flegal et al., 2010, Katzmarzyk and Mason, 2006, Mbanya et al., 1997, New Zealand Ministry of Health, 2004, Ogden et al., 2010, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010, Tremblay and Willms, 2000, Wang et al., 2002, World Health Organisation, 2005 and Wu, 2006).