Are the poor fat?

stutba

A persons level of access determines what steps need to be taken to alleviate the effects of poverty on their life. If a person has ZERO ACCESS to, say, birth control, then that will play a large part in their ability to regulate how many children they might have if they are sexually active and therefore how much money is spent on expenses related to children.

Now that you understand the important of access, lets take a look at some of specific factors that access plays into and how they might affect a person living in poverty.

Some of your statements are utter nonsense. Lets talk birth control for one... The cheapest form of birth control is abstinence. If you cant afford children, don't have them!!! If you cant refrain from sex, there are other forms of birth control that cost little to nothing. Condoms are relatively inexpensive and in many cases, you can obtain them for free. Same goes for birth control pills. They are in many cases available for little to nothing for certain programs.

If you have children, they are the mother and fathers responsibility. They are not my responsibility or any individuals who did not contribute the egg or sperm.

This has nothing to do with the post and neither did your prior comments.

paperpudding

Why wolf, I won't quote your long post - but thank you for a very detailed and objective analysis of some of the issues re poverty and food intake.

Some of the posters' judgemental smug attitudes are really terrible.

beautifulwarrior18

I don't honestly believe that eating healthy is more expensive (omitting organic). Yes, a pizza is only 4 dollars and costs the same amount as a canister of greek yogurt, which in itself is not a meal, but most people who buy the cheap junk food don't pay attention to serving sizes. That $4 canister of greek yogurt will provide you with 10 servings and one serving of greek yogurt will make you feel fuller than one measly slice of pizza. Looking at protein sources, chicken and peanut butter are super cheap but that prime cut steak you shouldn't be guzzling is going to cost you a lot more.

I think poverty and obesity has a lot more to do with lack of access to fitness facilities and lack of education. Yes, you can get fit at home, but it's a lot more motivating if you can afford classes or see a personal trainer. Saying that eating healthy is expensive is an excuse, especially when you eat frozen pizza every night of the week and gobble up a half or an entire pizza.

And keep in mind in other countries, affluence is positively related with obesity.

pinkraynedropjacki

I'm poor.....and yet far from fat. People who complain it costs more to eat better are just lazy. It costs less to eat better cause you have to buy less in order to be satisfied with what you eat & be full. Lazy fat people just eat more & more & claim it costs less PER MEAL.... because they are not getting their hunger satisfied with that crap.


I don't buy into this bullpoop at all. It's just another excuse for fatties to stay fat.

pinkraynedropjacki

No. I have saved up now almost 6 grand since eating healthier. I ate junk food for the first 20lbs lost... I just counted calories. People are fat because they aren't educated, we make poor choices, eat too many calories and don't work them off. You don't need to eat organic expensive food to lose weight. I don't. That's a total load and a sad excuse.

It's almost as sad as people who think you need a gym member ship to get fit and use that as an excuse to why they're not..

Get off your lazy bums, learn to cook from scratch on a budget, no more excuses.



And no this isn't a rare growers market full of expensive "Organic" foods. I don't live in the country side, I live in the city, the most secluded capt city in the world... and i don't drive, so I cycle to get here. I use to make excuses like it costs too much, but not anymore, not after i actually compared what i was paying.

Wow you get ripped off at coles. I can get a 1kg bag of carrots there for 0.99. I know I sure as hell dont get those prices at the markets here in Melbourne. Not for any of those. Even a whole icebreg lettuce at coles is $1, yet the market will cost me $2.50

PunkyRachel

My husband and I am poor, like less than $15K a year poor. We get by on $300 a month for groceries average. its all in how you pinch those penny's. I watch sells, clip coupons, and buy my bread at the local outlet store for dirt cheap. I make my own sauces, using tomato paste or cream of ____ soup diluted with water and whatever spices I need. I buy boxes of whole wheat pasta for a dollar, store brand instant brown rice, for about $2-3. I buy frozen skinless boneless chicken breast, rolls of ground turkey whatever brand is cheapest at the time, canned tuna, and store brand turkey bacon. I buy whatever eggs are on sell, and even mix up my own milk. One box of nonfat powder milk last the whole month. I don't buy fresh fruit or veggies. I buy frozen veggies $1 a bag usually. Since I don't really like fruit at all, I will buy all natural flavored applesauce. I also buy 100% fruit/veggie juice to supplement.

Also when my husband lost his job last May (still not working) we did stop paying for our online games and stopped Netflix too. So I do have my priorities straight, and try not to waste money.

pinkraynedropjacki

Pinkraynedrop and misskittyninj, thank you for demonstrating perfect examples of smug posts so soon after I posted.

You can do it so everyone can do it. Nobody has any issues or barriers because you don't.

I love the simplicity in your little bubbles

Who said I don't have barriers? Didn't I say I was poor? I also have injuries.... but hey.... put me down as smug. After all I have just been there & done that right? Against all I had to face I still did it. Issues & all.:yawn:

Natmarie73

First off, only in first world countries are poor people fat. Secondly, people, in general, have a tendency to turn for food in comfort.

Yes I agree. In developing countries, being fat is a sign of wealth, as it used to be a few hundred years ago when only rich people could afford meat and rich food. These days, in Australia at least, cheaper food is very high in fat, sugar and high carb/fat fillers eg sausages, frozen chips, frozen pizzas, cheap supermarket cakes etc etc so people on lower incomes GENERALLY will be more likely to be overweight than those of us who can afford to buy lean beef/fish/chicken, organic vegetables, wholegrains etc etc. The only time in my life I put on weight was when I was a student living on $80 a week and eating fried rice, KFC and sausages because that was all I could afford.

However - there are as always exceptions to every generalisation. For instance in the mining industry here, which is a very high earning industry, there are a lot of overweight people - probably the majority of truck drivers are very overweight. And these guys and gals earn over $250,000 a year so are hardly "poor" and can afford to buy healthy food. So obviously, there are other factors at play as well such as a high level of alcohol consumption, lack of excersise, lack of health awareness, lack of education, can't be bothered attitude, high consumption of calorie dense food and soft drinks etc etc etc .

Overweight people can be found in both lower socio-economic areas as well as in wealthier areas however, in general, I would agree that people on lower incomes are more likely to be overweight and would find it harder to get access to information about healthy food choices and money to purchase healthier food.

paperpudding

Pinkraynedrop and misskittyninj, thank you for demonstrating perfect examples of smug posts so soon after I posted.

You can do it so everyone can do it. Nobody has any issues or barriers because you don't.

I love the simplicity in your little bubbles

Who said I don't have barriers? Didn't I say I was poor? I also have injuries.... but hey.... put me down as smug. After all I have just been there & done that right? Against all I had to face I still did it. Issues & all.:yawn:

Yes you said you were poor.
Your post was also smug.

The two are not mutually exclusive, you know.

And no, your experience does not mean you have been there done that with everyone's else's experience - that's exactly what I mean by smug.
Ie I've been poor as one person in one set of circumstances so I know what everyone else experiences in every circumstance of being poor.

Fiercely_Me

Many times it it also a lack of access. Many poorer neigborhoods have what is called food deserts. Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, farmer's markets, these communities may have no food access without a car or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

This combined with lack of education about healthy food choices can be a problem.

Thanks for your input! Lack of access and education are two prominent barriers to health according to research.

VonDressToLarge

Pinkraynedrop and misskittyninj, thank you for demonstrating perfect examples of smug posts so soon after I posted.

You can do it so everyone can do it. Nobody has any issues or barriers because you don't.

I love the simplicity in your little bubbles

I think you need to google the definition of smug. Unless you think me saying how it is great that I'm finally on track with my life, though finding my own way to buy food and that I did do it with out a gym membership and without high priced food, so it can indeed be done... is somehow smug. In that case I'd like to hope you stay away from the success story's forum as you will rage at everyone. I'd like to think saying that would have given some people hope.

I listed how much it costs. FOR ME. Where I LIVE. How much I have saved...And the difference of buying from a growers market compared to a super market, despite being in the most secluded capt city in the world. My reason for posting this was to show even where I live you can indeed find cheaper food and places that sell food cheaper. It just requires a little time and effort. I also think people need to be educated about nutrition as I was not and I think if we educate the next generation this will help prevent obesity in the future, even teaching people to cook would be a step! Yes not everyone is in the same position as me, they're not all going to find a growers market in cycling distance. Not everyone is the same body type, have the same health issues or at the same fitness level. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't have posted my chart. It's still useful for those who might not realise how different food prices can vary.

Sometimes reading things off the internet, you take from it what you want to take from it. I'm not trying to be smug, I'm just tyring to show with some searching, effort, education and dedication it was possible for me to lose weight and I'm sure many poor people out there can find their way too.

Thank you :flowerforyou:

jayche

I'm poor and I'm not fat.

Unknown

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fortally

I was just thinking, too, that it could be the environment around you. For me, I grew up in a household where EVERYONE was fat. All of my family members - Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, Grandma - literally, EVERYONE. So you learn from what you see. I saw my parents, grandparents, making really unhealthy things, going back for seconds and thirds, etc., etc., so naturally that's what you see every day and you're going to think that it's normal. It's when you get out in the world that you realize... "Oh, hey, uh, maybe this isn't quite right here?"

It's not to put the BLAME on anyone, you know? Even when I eventually knew better (and we all find that out at one point), I still overate, still had bad habits, just didn't care to change. I have no one to blame but MYSELF for the way I am/was. I totally accept that.

But I do think that we learn by observation. If your parents don't know any better, how would they teach you better? And the cycle continues when those kids have kids, etc. That's why I really wish they'd teach nutrition in school - more than just the basic "5 food group" stuff. I can't recall EVER learning about nutrition and what a calorie was (other than a scientific term in physics class, etc.) and how too many calories can do this, that, the other to you, so on and so on. I think today's kids have a much better shot at keeping themselves healthy because there's so much more awareness now of the issue.

As a 5th grade teacher in a low-income school I can tell you that it's astonishing how little kids know about food. There's one activity where it really hits home. When teaching food chains it's fun to "deconstruct" a meal and trace it back to the beginning. So my kiddos might draw a picture of a cheeseburger, then draw the arrows accordingly (hamburger, cow, grass, sun). The first time I did this I was SHOCKED beyond belief at what my kids DIDN'T know. They didn't know hamburger came from a cow. Or that a ketchup comes from tomatoes, and that those grew on a plant. Or that their chips came from potatoes that grow underground. It shocked me senseless. If I asked them to tell me where the bun came from I got "Walmart" as an answer. Show them a picture of stalks of wheat and all I got was blank looks.

My personal opinion is that it comes down to education. I've had times where I scraped by on very little. After I had already cut the phone, tv, new clothes, conditioner, light bulbs (you get the idea) from my budget, I still had to get by on very little for food. Can it be done cheaply? Sure. Packs of ramen are 17 cents. But a bag of dried beans is $1. A bag of dried beans & bag of brown rice gets me a couple weeks worth of meals. "Splurge" and throw some spices in with the beans and it's actually pretty good.

But if mom and dad only buy Hamburger Helper - and that's ALL you ever see them "cook" - then the nutrition cycle gets broken. If mom and dad have never grown food in their lives, then kids don't experience where food actually comes from. From there perspective food comes two sources: in a box/bag or in shrink wrap from the store. So while cheap, "healthy" alternatives are right next to the cheap processed junk, they have no idea that better options even exist, much less how to cook them. If mom and dad aren't educated about nutrition, then they don't know how to shop the sales and make use of bulk cooking & the freezer for healthy, cheap meals. If they don't know, their kids definitely won't.

I'm fortunate in that I DO have an education and grew up with a mom who loved to cook. I've been "ramen noodle poor." Doesn't mean I ate that way.

(Edited: for the other teachers out there, yeah, I know, arrows go FROM the sun and my post has it backwards. But I just meant it as a deconstruct example. My kids think hamburger comes from the plastic package in the cold part of Walmart. Ask them where the package comes from and get blank looks. Tell them an animal that went "moo" and they accuse me of lying!)

acogg

Speaking only from the aspect that all individuals discussed are not severely handicapped, it really comes down to lazy people are fat and poor. They will always remain so, until they decide to stop being lazy. When a person is truly hungry they stop being lazy. When they stop being lazy, they earn money. This method of weightloss and success has proved itself through the ages. Yet, personal sympathy disrupts it time and time again.

salembambi

Speaking only from the aspect that all individuals discussed are not severely handicapped, it really comes down to lazy people are fat and poor. They will always remain so, until they decide to stop being lazy. When a person is truly hungry they stop being lazy. When they stop being lazy, they earn money. This method of weightloss and success has proved itself through the ages. Yet, personal sympathy disrupts it time and time again.

I have not met many lazy poor people some work harder(& longer) than most people ever have just to stay alive.That is not lazy that is surviving and no one has the right to shame that. no one

ihateroses

People really throw around the word "poor" when most don't know what it really means.

My mom told me a story from my childhood in Ukraine. A neighbor brought over some chicken bones for the dog and my mom was so hungry she sucked the bones to get the flavor before giving it to the dog.

Truly poor people don't have the luxury of getting fat.

I understand it means different things in different parts of the world but if you are fat it means you are eating. That's the bottom line.

acogg

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I have not met many lazy poor people some work harder(& longer) than most people ever have just to stay alive.That is not lazy that is surviving and no one has the right to shame that. no one

If they work so hard and are just staying alive, how are they fat?

marciamellow21

I hear all that you are saying. From my experience.. Being fat is an income level thing. Hear me out.... I was brought up poor, I was always in need...need of shoes..need of clothes ...there was always a "want"...something was always lacking even it was ****ing ketchup in the frig... My middle class friends never had to worry about clothes, food, etc. they grew up comfortable.and skinny with no worries of were their next meal was coming from...

booksgiver

Good discussion but you win the prize as far as I'm concerned. No doubt it's cheaper and easier to eat sugar laden, high fat and heavily processed foods, especially if one has a large family and is working two jobs just to get by. I also agree with another person who commented that sometimes the pleasure of having something that simply tastes good is one form of entertainment, and it absolutely is entertainment, still available to the poor. I live in an area known for wide spread poverty and I just read an article where the only large grocery store within a 25 mile radius is closing. Food sold at smaller stores is notoriously more costly and there is less variety, less fresh produce, and often less than the best quality of meat. As another person said, hotdogs and hamburger are relatively cheap and while oatmeal is still a bargain, parents are beseiged by commercials that constantly imply that if they loved their children they'd buy them "Sugar-Os". Perhaps when some parents feel that they can't buy their children the latest gadget they can at least buy them their favorite junk food. I am not defending this behavior but I agree with you that when there is little or no discretionary spending, then food becomes the most likely form of comfort and "entertainment". Being poor is not a testament to poor character and being fat is not just about poor character either.

Mr_Knight

Truly poor people don't have the luxury of getting fat.

Finally, some common sense in this thread...!

acogg

I was brought up poor to lower middle class. My mother stretched food with water and potatoes. We didn't whine or blame others for our situation. We were taught that we should rely on ourselves (especially not government, which is equal to relying on your neighbor) and not blame others. We should rise up and work harder to rely on our own hard work.

marciamellow21

just saying ...go to a junior league thrift store.. sizes are from 0 to size 12. rich women are thinner.

WALKSMARATHONS

In the Safeway where I shop, the most expensive "foods" are the ready to eat or frozen ones whose main ingredients are salt, sugar, canola oil. By contrast, potatoes, carrots, spinach , and broccoli seem relatively cheap. Many people complain about the cost of real food because they don't want to spend time cooking and preparing them because they are so tired from sitting in their cars.

WALKSMARATHONS

I think most people who think they cannot afford to eat real food are the ones who spend most of their money on their cars. It is all a matter of priorities.

bassaniobroke

Not necessary, its matter of knowledge and desire. If one desire to be fit and have knowledge about food and exercise he/she may keep herself/himself fit. there are cheap health foods, there are thousands of exercises which need no gym, no treadmill, no other fitness machines. Though the task is difficult but not impossible. Most of cases the problem is with overeating which can affect rich as well as poor both.

bassaniobroke

In the Safeway where I shop, the most expensive "foods" are the ready to eat or frozen ones whose main ingredients are salt, sugar, canola oil. By contrast, potatoes, carrots, spinach , and broccoli seem relatively cheap. Many people complain about the cost of real food because they don't want to spend time cooking and preparing them because they are so tired from sitting in their cars.

Fully agree, fully support. People want to spend time in other useless activities and not on cooking.

MelodyandBarbells

Responding to a snippet from the dissertation posted earlier. Re: poor people driving older, less fuel efficient cars that use up more gas. My 14 year old car I used to drive cost maybe about 1-2 of my current car payments to maintain in maybe a 1 or 2 year span. The idea of spending 30 grand just for a more fuel efficient vehicle doesn't always pay off financially unless you commute a ton. Ultimately some of those cars are simply making a statement, and not necessarily saving the owners money. I can see where an unreliable car could mean you'd lose your job but overall I'd say an older car would cost less to own and maintain.

There were a lot of other comments I could respond to , but they seemed to be answering the question "are the poor lazy", no doubt due to some of the harsh statements on this topic. Interesting read, though.

dedgjonator

You can get 5 bars of chocolate for £1. :it costs £1For 1 banana. £2.50 for 2 frozen ready meals it could cost £20 to buy the ingrediants fresh. Eating healthy is more expensive. Unless you can shop around and not have to go to farm foods kr jack foultons. Bad foods are always on offer.

mistyb1972

okay a bag of spinach is $2.99 and boneless skinless chicken is $8 for 8 pieces and frozen broccoli is 1.97 and feeds my family of 5. This does not include herbs and spices which can be expensive. Five burgers Five fries and five drinks is $15. So you are only saving some change but in the long run you will know what went into your food and it will be much healthier for you. However a box of mac n cheese costs 50 cent to $2 depending on brand and hot dogs $1, buns, $1.You do the math on that and unhealthy is definitely cheaper. I think good quality healthy food should be accessible and available with reasonable prices. I for one have to budget and stretch my pennies until they scream. The cost of living is skyrocketing and jobs aren't available and who gets a raise..?Not me! My gym membership is $60 for my family and since I have gotten back on the healthy band wagon my food bill is twice as much! I am not poor but I am fat.The government will do and say anything to gain more control of our freedom and making such comments about the poor are fat is just such a case. A year or so ago there was a push for food stamps to be accepted at fast food restaurants because it was much cheaper for the recipient. Now a 360 and thanks to obamacare, insurance companies want everyone to be healthy so they do not have to pay out any claims on sickness and disease. Or they will charge you for unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles such as being overweight or smoking. Meanwhile pharmaceutical companies want to make money off of you with diet aids. It is all hype and propaganda and at the end of the day who really cares if the poor are fat?