obesity paradox

What is your vision of someone living in poverty? Images from across the world often depict people who are underweight, malnourished and frail looking. But in America, the picture of poverty is quite different. A great percentage of people living in poverty in the United States are obese. Although some argue that those in poverty are just lazy, choosing to eat junk food and live off the government, they fail to see the bigger picture. It is not a matter of people being lazy, nor is it their choice of food. It is a matter of the ability to obtain fresh wholesome foods. Living in the land of plenty, one is led to believe that healthful food is always available, but for some it is not so easy to come by. For some, it is a daily struggle to find enough funds to put food on the table, let alone healthy, nutrient dense foods. For others, fresh healthful foods are just simply unavailable. Lack of healthy foods is not the problem, either. There is plenty of quality foods to go around. The problem lies within the kinds of foods that have come to dominate the markets, food waste, the rising cost of living while minimum wage remains stagnant, government subsidies to Big Ag, and the lack of a social security net for those in poverty.

According to the US Census Bureau, 46.5 million people were living in poverty in 2012. Among those, 21.8 percent were children. Even more surprising is the staggering number of people who are food insecure. It is estimated that nearly 50 million Americans experience food insecurity during a given year. And yet, the obesity prevalence is skyrocketing. In 2010, 35.9 percent of adults over age 20 were obese, 18.4 percent of adolescents age 12-19 years were obese, 18 percent of children age 6-11 ...

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... certain amount of money before being kicked off the programs, making it difficult to get out of poverty. Without some major changes in policy the situation will only worsen. The nation debt will increase due to health expenditures, and taxes will be raised to cover the cost, leaving even more people in poverty.

So what can be done? We cannot just pin the obesity problem on policy makers. It must be examined by academic, medical, and psychological professions among others. Possible changes in the food assistance programs, expanded knowledge of health and nutrition among those in poverty and availability of nutrient dense foods would be a good start. Other areas that might help curb the issue include boosting agricultural subsidies to farmers to grow fruits and vegetables, increased crime prevention, and improved neighborhood recreation facilities.