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man’s diet” by the indigenous ethnic groups produced
deleterious health effects. Similarly, studies
among the Afro-Caribbean community in Great
Britain shows that the traditional West Indian diet
is far much healthier than the adopted British diet
which has been implicated in the rising levels of
obesity 19 . Obesity is the fastest growing problem
worldwide 20 . It is a
result of changes in
diet, physical activity,
health, nutrition and
social and economic
changes collectively
known as the nutrition
transition 21 .
There is evidence that
shows that chronic diseases
rise and reach
epidemic proportions
if the nutrition transition
is left unheeded
[Walter Dietz, director
of nutrition and physi-
”Eating from the other.”
cal activity at Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)]. In marginalised groups such as migrant
groups this nutrition transition can take place
within half a generation for the reasons outlined
below. The burden of chronic diseases, such as
type 2 diabetes 22 , hypertension, cardiovascular diseases
23 are documented in Sweden as being rather
prevalent in immigrants from outside the Nordic
countries.
The myth of food multiculturalism
In countries where immigrants have co-existed
with the indigenous population, the food habits
and the ingredients required to make these dishes
have been incorporated into the supermarkets. This
is most prominent in countries like Great Britain,
USA and France 24 . Just recently Robin Cook stated
that chicken thika masala 25 was now Britain’s national
dish at the same time Robin Cook asked how a
foreign dish could have become the nations national
dish. This statement raised the question of whether
acceptance of foreign dishes meant also accepting
the migrant or is it just enough to accept the food
for the “other’s needs”. It is evident in the chicken
curry case that the dish itself is suitable but perhaps
not the people behind the dish. One could parallel
this example with the kebab in Sweden that has
become a common dish in the lives of many Swedes.
To what extent are the makers of kebab an accepted
integrated part of the Swedish society? Ironically, to
make some of these dishes acceptable, modifications
are made to suit the palate of the host, usually more
energy dense, and a situation of reverse parasitism.
79
Spicing up the supermarkets with
the “other’s” food
In almost all the supermarkets in Sweden, one will
find a wide range of not only exotic spices26 but
also fruits and vegetables. The “spices” liven up,
the indigenous diet. However, the price of these
exotic spices in the mainstream supermarkets is
prohibitively expensive
for the migrant
and is mostly enjoyed
by the “other”. The
supermarkets that specialise
in bulk packaging
usually do not carry a
wide range of multicultural
ethnic foods
let alone quality nutrient
foods. In the end
“what is good” is expensive
and located in the
“mainstream Swedish
milieu”. These factors
combined if not taken
into account now, will in 20 years time be regarded
as attributing factors very specific for migrant
diets and health in Sweden.
Photo: Nils Aria
Narcissistic hospitality and the
aging migrant in Sweden
It is estimated that 11% of the Swedish population
is of migrant stock and still increasing 27 . Evidently
it seems easier to accept and eat food of the “other”
(narcissistic hospitality) than to accommodate the
persons behind the food. This brings into question
the future fate of aging migrants in Sweden
with bipalatal food habits. Since Sweden has had
non-existent colonial links the mobility of foods,
knowledge and practice about migrant diets still
remain rudimentary. Notwithstanding, migrants
in Sweden, are observed to practice bipalatalism,
searching for familiar foods in so called “migrant
shops” or by hauling back food from their
countries. How much is known about the migrants’
diet in relation to migrant health. This question is
important to elucidate especially as the migrant
stock reaches elderly home stages (see Albin et al.,;
Pudiaric et al.,). Studies have shown that, diseases
of poverty, such as under nutrition, and over nutrition
are common in the elderly, especially when
coupled with socio-cultural, psychological and
economic factors 28 . Are the retirement homes in
Sweden acculturated to caring for elderly migrant
stock that has bipalatal food habits?
Concluding remarks
“Will the legacy of our generation be more than a series
of broken promises” Nelson Mandela