Connection Between Poverty and Obesity
Connection between poverty and obesity
According to Wall Street Journal, “More than 33% of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year were obese, compared with 24.6% of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.” (Izzo 2011) Processed foods such as cheeseburger or French fries tend to be cheaper than buying healthier ingredients and making home cooked food. When people have lower incomes, they do suffer from food insecurity, which is an important connection between poverty and obesity. Two reasons can contribute to obesity: parents are working and are no longer at home with their children and therefore not able to cook balanced meals; and foods with high fat are cheaper than healthy foods.
It has been said that if a person is obese, they must have enough to eat, which this is simply not true. In the U.S. today, poverty is the leading cause of obesity. To be even more specific, parents are responsible because kids eat meals inside their vehicles while being shuttled from home to school to aftercare. “What children eat is a function of what they are fed. The people responsible for feeding children are parents. If we are going to see any changes, then it is parental behavior that will need to change.” (Kosterich 2011) Parents often feel guilty, but have difficulty finding the time to plan and prepare meals that everyone will eat. The reason for this, if there is limited food in the house, a low-income family may give their children fast food because it is cheap compared to their local markets. It is the parents who decide to buy high calories foods off of the Dollar menu.
Parents also determine how much the kid will eat. If the family only has a few dollars in their wallet, they would’ve picked a hamburger for $1 over a loaf of bread with the same price. Until the kid is old enough to make decisions for themselves, the parents are responsible for everything. If they don’t serve the right portions or use healthy food or make their kids go out and play, then it is
According to Wall Street Journal, “More than 33% of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year were obese, compared with 24.6% of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.” (Izzo 2011) Processed foods such as cheeseburger or French fries tend to be cheaper than buying healthier ingredients and making home cooked food. When people have lower incomes, they do suffer from food insecurity, which is an important connection between poverty and obesity. Two reasons can contribute to obesity: parents are working and are no longer at home with their children and therefore not able to cook balanced meals; and foods with high fat are cheaper than healthy foods.
It has been said that if a person is obese, they must have enough to eat, which this is simply not true. In the U.S. today, poverty is the leading cause of obesity. To be even more specific, parents are responsible because kids eat meals inside their vehicles while being shuttled from home to school to aftercare. “What children eat is a function of what they are fed. The people responsible for feeding children are parents. If we are going to see any changes, then it is parental behavior that will need to change.” (Kosterich 2011) Parents often feel guilty, but have difficulty finding the time to plan and prepare meals that everyone will eat. The reason for this, if there is limited food in the house, a low-income family may give their children fast food because it is cheap compared to their local markets. It is the parents who decide to buy high calories foods off of the Dollar menu.
Parents also determine how much the kid will eat. If the family only has a few dollars in their wallet, they would’ve picked a hamburger for $1 over a loaf of bread with the same price. Until the kid is old enough to make decisions for themselves, the parents are responsible for everything. If they don’t serve the right portions or use healthy food or make their kids go out and play, then it is
References: Forstel. (n.d.). What does “organic” mean?. Retrieved from http://www.organic.org/education/faqs Harding, A. (2012, May 01). As childhood obesity improves, will kids in poverty be left behind?. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/01/health/childhood-obesity-poverty/index.html Izzo, P. (2011, July 07). Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/07/07/the- connection-between-obesity-and-poverty/ Kosterich, J. (2011). Medpages today. Retrieved from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/01/parents-blame-childhood-obesity.html Staff Writer. (2010). Organic food fights childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-food/organic-food-articles/organic-food-fights-childhood-obesity.html Young, A. (2011, 22 June). Helium.com. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1869786-how-poverty-affects-obesity