Poverty and Poor Nutrition

EmilyKingston

A study by Adam Drenowski and SE Specter, titled Povery and Obesity: The Role of Energy Density and Energy Costs, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discovered four things:

"First, the highest rates of obesity occur among population groups with the highest poverty rates and the least education. Second, there is an inverse relation between energy density (MJ/kg) and energy cost ($/MJ), such that energy-dense foods composed of refined grains, added sugars, or fats may represent the lowest-cost option to the consumer. Third, the high energy density and palatability of sweets and fats are associated with higher energy intakes, at least in clinical and laboratory studies. Fourth, poverty and food insecurity are associated with lower food expenditures, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and lower-quality diets." See complete study here: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/1/6.full

For those of you who are struggling financially, how are your grocery shopping habits affected by your lack of money? For those of you who are financially secure, if you were to lose your money tomorrow, how would your current habits have to change? Money can be a sensitive subject for some of us, so please remember to speak respectfully to one another. Thanks!

RieBerg

Well, I can tell you that my grocery bill is outrageous because we buy healthy food, and only eat organic meats and free range chicken due to animal welfare philosophies. If we didn't have money to do that, we would probably eat mostly beans and rice the canned beans with lots of sodium. Vegetables actually aren't that expensive if you go to Sprouts. In short, I think the reason obesity is so high among those in poverty has more to do with the fact that some work 3 jobs and have no choice but to go to fatty, cheap fast food joints because there is no time to cook rather than not being able to afford healthy food. In fact, you save if you buy "real" food in Colorado anyway because the processed stuff is taxed and the real stuff is not. This may be tangential, but oh well!

Oartemis

When it comes to grocery shopping I have to write a list. Once my list is complete I hightlight the most important items that I can't do without. Normally those highlighted items are ingredients that can be used to make a wide range of meals. When I get to the store it's all about the best price, not always the lowest, and sales sales sales.I might have chicken on my list but if pork is on sale for 99 cents a pound I'll buy the pork instead of the chicken. I also normally shop at Aldi's which tends to have food a lot cheaper than other places. If I have any money left over out of my grocery shopping budget I move on to the un-highlighted items. I end up getting a lot of nutritious ingredients that can be cooked into many different items and less, if any, of the pre-made items. That normally means I spend a good couple of hours in my kitchen on Sundays cooking/baking various things for the week but it's much easier on my budget to make everything from scratch then to buy things pre-made.

During the winter and spring I shop at Aldi's for fruits and vegetables. During that time I hardly ever buy fresh. It's normally all frozen and I only buy fruit other than bananas when it's on sale. But during the summer and fall I go to the farmer's market for some of my fruits/veggies and grow the rest. During the summer/fall it's mainly all fresh and hardly any of it's frozen since fresh is cheaper during that time.

holly1283

I get a lot of mileage out of buying chicken. Since I live in a rural area we have fresh veggies most of the year at the local farmer's market. But the city doesn't have it so well and farmer's markets can be pricey. And also living in this area I can tell you that some things that are marked as free range or organic are NOT necessarily as advertised . Most poverty level cannot afford these anyway. While at present my income is adequate, I remember lean years when I added up my bill and deducted my coupons to see what I could afford to buy. There is no place in a budget like that for some of the items in health food stores. Some peeps on here are very critical when anyone says eating healthy is more expensive. For certain things it is. With 3 children and an alcoholic husband I became a master juggler of funds and making things from scratch. I know it can be done. I really don't want to have to do it again. So unless you have walked a mile in their shoes try to be more compassionate.

Acg67

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

Tilran

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

They fall under the dont have McDonald's category and therefore excluded from the list.

Great Depression affected everyone so it was a unilateral decline. What I think this study and the OP are trying to point out is that when 1 class is in poverty, they tend to go for the cheaper foods that are more dense in calories.

Acg67

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

They fall under the dont have McDonald's category and therefore excluded from the list.

Great Depression affected everyone so it was a unilateral decline. What I think this study and the OP are trying to point out is that when 1 class is in poverty, they tend to go for the cheaper foods that are more dense in calories.

Except not everyone fell into poverty during the Great Depression, if the question is poverty is a cause of obesity why didn't it appear then? If it's fast food, why were US obesity rates relatively stable from 1960 when fast food started to be introduced till the late 80's?

You can eat a a healthy diet on a limited budget if you're willing to take the effort to do so, many impoverished tend not to take the effort.

frogtox

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

They fall under the dont have McDonald's category and therefore excluded from the list.

Great Depression affected everyone so it was a unilateral decline. What I think this study and the OP are trying to point out is that when 1 class is in poverty, they tend to go for the cheaper foods that are more dense in calories.

Except not everyone fell into poverty during the Great Depression, if the question is poverty is a cause of obesity why didn't it appear then? If it's fast food, why were US obesity rates relatively stable from 1960 when fast food started to be introduced till the late 80's?

You can eat a a healthy diet on a limited budget if you're willing to take the effort to do so, many impoverished tend not to take the effort.

The availability of inexpensive high calorie foods did not exist like it does today. And I don't blame fast food as much as I do 'convenience' food (which includes fast food)... all of which are more prevalent over the last ten years or so.

I do agree with your last point, and one a PP made... it all boils down to the effort that you put into it. And education. Some people just don't know better. And, unfortunately, while food should be seen as fuel, it's generally not.

maillemaker

The reason why the Great Depression did not contribute to obesity is because foods were not nearly as processed in 1939 as they are today.

In 1900, the average person consumed 5 pounds of sugar a year. Today that is closer to 150 pounds.

I suspect that people during the 1930s were still largely consuming what we would call a paelo diet today.

ebr250

I order my produce from the Bountiful Baskets food co-op. It is a great program that gives you about a laundry basket's amount of fresh fruits and veggies for only $15! You can also pay $10 extra and get 100% organic and there are other extras like bread, granola and additional bulk produce available. Everyone should check it out no matter what their budget! It's great!

www.bountifulbaskets.org

2FatToRun

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

*Applauds* ..............now waiting for you to get called some name by those who dont live in reality. I will make some popcorn :drinker:

thisismeraw

I personally don't think being low on money means you should have poor nutrition. With proper planning and shopping you can eat healthy for cheap.

My grocery bill has actually gone down since I started eating better and all I buy are beans, fruits and vegetables for the most part.

You can eat healthy on a low budget. Shop sales, plan meals around sales, etc. You don't have to resort to fast food just because you don't have a lot of money.

Acg67

The reason why the Great Depression did not contribute to obesity is because foods were not nearly as processed in 1939 as they are today.

In 1900, the average person consumed 5 pounds of sugar a year. Today that is closer to 150 pounds.

I suspect that people during the 1930s were still largely consuming what we would call a paelo diet today.

Pretty sure bread was common during the 1930's, so were dairy products

cincigina

I do believe a lot of it boils down to education and knowledge about healthy foods. But I also believe it has a lot to do with the lazy attitude that is prevalent in our society. Back in the Great Depression very few homes were single parent households or the mother didn't work outside of the home. Today, those two things are very prevalent. I'm not criticizing either one, in fact I am a working mom. And my experience is that a lot of people (good and bad, rich and poor), don't want to put the effort into healthy meals and nutrition. It's far easier to run through the drive thru or order a pizza for your family than it is to plan a healthy meal in advance. And convenience foods tend to have a higher concentration of refined sugars, carbs and sodium and less whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I get that. It takes a lot time for me to sit down every week, plan my meals, cut up all the fruits and veggies and premake healthy meals for the week. And I fall off the wagon too. I have to plan in advance if I want to make sure we eat AT HOME and HEALTHY when one kid has baseball at 6 and another has gymnastics at 7 after working all day.

And I am not generalizing that poor people are lazier, and therefore eat unhealthy food more. Plenty of financial stable folks eat unhealthy because it is far easier to buy something quick or premade than it is to make the healthier version.

Maybe I'm getting off topic, sorry. But I think the topics are related.

sammniamii

Considering I have to do a lower carb, no gluten, some dairy diet - since starting to eat better I have seen my monthly cost of food rise. Cheap things like beans, rice & pasta is basically out, I have to rely on veggies, dairy, eggs & meat. Or spend extra for gluten free versions.

I have been at a point in my life where my & the hubs had $15 for food for a week - both unemployed and struggling. Meals where balona sandwhichs, rice and gravy, hamburgers w/ mayo. Crap food, but $15 got us enough to eat for 7 days, 2 people, 2 meals.

cincigina

Considering I have to do a lower carb, no gluten, some dairy diet - since starting to eat better I have seen my monthly cost of food rise. Cheap things like beans, rice & pasta is basically out, I have to rely on veggies, dairy, eggs & meat. Or spend extra for gluten free versions.

I have been at a point in my life where my & the hubs had $15 for food for a week - both unemployed and struggling. Meals where balona sandwhichs, rice and gravy, hamburgers w/ mayo. Crap food, but $15 got us enough to eat for 7 days, 2 people, 2 meals.

Good point.

GURLEY_GIRL3

Why didn't we see an explosion of obesity during the Great Depression? Where does Haiti fall on the list of overweight countries?

They fall under the dont have McDonald's category and therefore excluded from the list.

Great Depression affected everyone so it was a unilateral decline. What I think this study and the OP are trying to point out is that when 1 class is in poverty, they tend to go for the cheaper foods that are more dense in calories.

Except not everyone fell into poverty during the Great Depression, if the question is poverty is a cause of obesity why didn't it appear then? If it's fast food, why were US obesity rates relatively stable from 1960 when fast food started to be introduced till the late 80's?

You can eat a a healthy diet on a limited budget if you're willing to take the effort to do so, many impoverished tend not to take the effort.

GURLEY_GIRL3

I always shop like I am poor alloting only a certain amount of money every trip, clipping coupons, and making sure to get the paper on wednesdays and sundays for ads and coupons. It is just as cheap to eat healthy. You can get a 1 lb bag of beans for under 2 dollars. Same for rice. Frozen veggies are cheap. Dairy is not out of control I can get a doz eggs for under 2 dollars shredded cheese or blocked cheese for under 2 dollars. Yogurt is 50 cents for the reg one and 1 buck for greek unless I buy in packs then they are cheaper.

Being poor is no excuse to be fat or make bad choices when shopping. Being stupid is a whole different topic. I see plenty of MF'ers pulling out foodstamp cards with their nicely done 30 dollar nail job, while they talk on thier 200 dollar IPhone, fumbling with all the "bling" they have on. Then when they get to the parking lot and load all those groceries I just paid for into their Cadillac and drive off as I look at my cart of enough to get me to next payday after all my hard work of clipping and finding coupons as I get into my 2003 Toyota Tundra and look at the gas light to make sure I have enough to get home.

Being what America considers poor doesnt make ppl fat. Greedy,disgusting ppl that do not do a damn thing to contribute to soceity and live off it and make bad choices are whats ppl fat. They dont give a damn how disgusting they are you think they care what they put in their body. IT"S FREE! They aint paying for it.

:drinker: this!

pattyproulx

I think education has more to do with it than finances.

With that said, making a nice healthy meal for a family is more expensive than putting together some kraft dinner or cooking a frozen pizza you got on sale, so it's not surprising that the poor gravitate to those types of convenience foods.

I agree 100% that being poor is not a reason in itself to not be healthy. It's all about where your priorities and influences are.

I think it's fair to say that if health wasn't an issue for me, my grocery bill would be much cheaper.

KathrynNicole86

I believe the kind of "poverty" that is being discussed here is a bit different then what you all are talking about. Sure there is "we can't afford Sarah's baby shower gift, so wish her our best, but we will be unable to attend brunch" and clipping coupons to feed the family, and then there is "looks like we can't eat today, but if I can find some change in the couch cushion, we can buy a package of Ramen noodles for $1.

A few months ago...I had to buy a package of Ramen noodles...and five double cheeseburgers from McDonalds...cut them into half, and split the food. For five dollars...I made over ten meals. You just can't do that with fresh produce. Thankfully, I am in a better position now...and while still technically "in poverty", I am eating very healthy. I think the studies are just talking about the extreme situations.

For those extreme situations...it IS hard to eat healthy. Mac and Cheese at Aldi's...35 cents. Ramen noodles...25 cents....cheeseburger....a dollar....

That's the congruency that I see...

cmstirp

It's also an issue of access. In some areas there just aren't proper grocery stores where you can get fresh produce and healthy foods. And if those type of foods are available in the corner stores, they're much more expensive than the processed foods. It also may be difficult for people to get to the grocery stores because of time or financial constraints, so they just stick with the convenience/fast foods in their area.