1-If people were truly poor, they wouldn’t be obese.
Having traveled in Africa, I can report that excess weight IS a significant problem among adults. In Malawi, for example, the diet consists largely of a traditional staple called nsima, a boiled mixture of corn flour and water. Nsima has few nutrients, but it provides calories (energy), and it fills empty stomachs very inexpensively. Many people in our area also enjoy foods that have few nutrient and lots of calories that are inexpensive. We do love our cornbread, biscuits, and fried chicken around here, but we have learned that many of the foods that our ancestors enjoyed are not healthy for us--especially in large portions. Lard is not our friend no matter how tasty it makes biscuits.
2-Poor people do not have access to healthy food because they waste their money on other things.
I’m sure that poor people do sometimes spend their money foolishly as do those of us who are not poor. However, it is also often difficult for people who have low incomes to afford and have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein. Many communities are working to make healthy, affordable produce available to everyone.
Stereotypes about the poor are often inaccurate. According to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 10% of the poor (100% of FPL) are age 65 or older. Almost 20% of the poor are children. In approximately 60% of families headed by people under age 65, at least one person in the family worked full-time all year.
3-We can all control our own food intake. We are all responsible for our diets.
With the exception of children (who make up a significant proportion of the population), most of us do have the ability to make choices about the food that we eat. For people who have low incomes, options for healthy eating are limited by low income, physical access, cost, and sometimes, lack of information.
During the Great Depression, we learned that having a low income was not always the fault of the individual. During the current recession, we have been reminded that people experience “hard times” for a variety of reasons.
I imagine that many who have suffered during the recession would attest that their food options are more limited now than when the economy was better.
Researchers finds links between obesity, poverty
Responses to a few of your comments. . .
1-If people were truly poor, they wouldn’t be obese.
Having traveled in Africa, I can report that excess weight IS a significant problem among adults. In Malawi, for example, the diet consists largely of a traditional staple called nsima, a boiled mixture of corn flour and water. Nsima has few nutrients, but it provides calories (energy), and it fills empty stomachs very inexpensively. Many people in our area also enjoy foods that have few nutrient and lots of calories that are inexpensive. We do love our cornbread, biscuits, and fried chicken around here, but we have learned that many of the foods that our ancestors enjoyed are not healthy for us--especially in large portions. Lard is not our friend no matter how tasty it makes biscuits.
2-Poor people do not have access to healthy food because they waste their money on other things.
I’m sure that poor people do sometimes spend their money foolishly as do those of us who are not poor. However, it is also often difficult for people who have low incomes to afford and have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein. Many communities are working to make healthy, affordable produce available to everyone.
Stereotypes about the poor are often inaccurate. According to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 10% of the poor (100% of FPL) are age 65 or older. Almost 20% of the poor are children. In approximately 60% of families headed by people under age 65, at least one person in the family worked full-time all year.
3-We can all control our own food intake. We are all responsible for our diets.
With the exception of children (who make up a significant proportion of the population), most of us do have the ability to make choices about the food that we eat. For people who have low incomes, options for healthy eating are limited by low income, physical access, cost, and sometimes, lack of information.
During the Great Depression, we learned that having a low income was not always the fault of the individual. During the current recession, we have been reminded that people experience “hard times” for a variety of reasons.
I imagine that many who have suffered during the recession would attest that their food options are more limited now than when the economy was better.
Dr. Cleeland