The paper provides an overview of current knowledge of the nutritional situation of migrants in Germany. According to a definition by the United Nations more than 10 million people are migrants, predominantly Turks and migrants from the former USSR. Relatively few data concerning the nutritional behaviour of adult migrants are available. These few studies reveal that the nutritional behaviour of migrants differs in a positive way from that of the German population. This finding is in line with results from other European countries, e.g. the Netherlands. Data on the dietary behaviour of migrant children in Germany are not available. Anthropometric studies from other European countries suggest a higher risk of obesity for some groups of migrants as compared to the indigenous population. A distinctly greater risk of overweight and obesity in migrant children has been found in a German study. The essential conclusion is that more research into the nutritional behaviour and status of migrants in Germany is needed.

Migrants Nutritional situation Germany

Netherlands obesity Turkey (republic) Germany feeding behavior United Nations USSR Review native species anthropometric parameters nutritional status nutrition human migration