Hunger vs Obesity
The parodox of hunger and obesity in America
By Nancy Whelan
Friday, August 3, 2007
As a follow-up to the last What's On Your Mind column, this column addresses hunger and obesity in this country: a paradox.
To reiterate, the term
food insecurity refers to the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to a lack of financial resources.
As unbelievable as this may sound, hunger and obesity can and does co-exist and it has become a serious public health problem in this country. Hunger has been called America's "hidden crisis" while at the same time obesity has been identified as an "epidemic."
You may ask, though, if there is not enough food to eat then how can a food insecure household have expanding waistlines?
There are several reasons that have been identified for causing such a paradox.
Researchers are now realizing that in an attempt to stretch the food dollar as far as it will go (in order to have enough food to feed the family) foods that are not the highest in nutritive value or quality are purchased. Therefore, foods with a higher caloric content and a higher fat content are consumed. These kinds of foods are great for providing a feeling of "fullness," but they severely lack nutritional value.
It has been shown through research on coping strategies in food insecure households that the food quality is affected way before the food quantity. So, households may get enough food in their daily diets to avoid feeling hungry, but in reality the individuals are improperly nourished because they cannot afford to consistently provide a proper diet that is healthy, in turn discouraging obesity.
Chronic food insecure families are at the highest risk of finding themselves in this situation.
For example, we all enjoy a delicious bowl of macaroni and cheese once in a while. It is a great comfort food. However, eating this one particular dish on a continual basis is not providing the entire range of vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy body that a balanced diet including all food groups offers.
The carbohydrate content in the pasta is high as well as a high fat content in the cheese, which would most likely lead to weight gain over time.
But, it must be pointed out that a $1 box of pasta can go a long way feeding an entire family. What would be considered a side dish in a healthy diet becomes the main course in food insecure diets.
Cash-poor families also may frequent fast food chains that offer "value" meals that can also go a long way for each dollar. These meals can include large burgers, extra-large servings of fries and even larger servings of sodas and non-nutritive beverages.
It is theorized that even skipping meals can lead to obesity. Recent studies done at Cornell University and the University of California at Davis suggest that obesity among poor women may be correlated to the habit of going without food so that their children can eat.
Another problem where hunger and obesity is believed to have a link is in very poor neighborhoods where the corner grocery store (the only grocery store available to many families for many reasons, i.e. no transportation, afraid to go outside, etc.) is stocked with over-processed, quick prep, pre-packaged and junk foods.
Also, congested and/or unsafe neighborhoods that limit children's outdoor play as well as adult exercise contributes to the obesity problem.
There are millions of working parents who also meet the criteria for the low-income group, even with both parents/partners working.
Interestingly, obesity continues to increase on all economic levels, not just with low-income families.
According to a Proudfoot Consulting (Proudfoot Consulting : Management Consultants assisting clients to reach their full business potential) study, Americans are working longer hours than at any time since 1973 for a variety of reasons. (Proudfoot is one of the world's leading and longest established providers of management consultancy services.)
That doesn't leave a whole lot of time to come home and prepare healthy meals. Hence, the family gets fed more (probably pre-packaged) macaroni and cheese dinners, which only take five to 10 minutes to prepare. And, any kind of exercise isn't even considered because of the exhaustion of working endless hour and taking care of the household.
Suggestions:
One sure way children can get some nutrition in a food insecure household is through school. Many public school systems offer free breakfasts to students.
Indian River County has been doing this for a few years. Children who are able to get to school early can eat a balanced breakfast before they start their school day.
There also is a government program in the public school system that offers free or reduced cost lunches to qualifying students.
SOURCES Information for this column was derived from the following sources:
• The Food Research and Action Center, which is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and under-nutrition in the U.S. (Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)).
• Bread for the World & Bread for the World Institute, which is an organization that for more than 30 years has sought and won improvements to food stamp and child nutrition programs. This organization has been critical to the success in curbing hunger and improving nutrition in the U.S..
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