Obesity and poverty...

crencibia

I am blessed because I do not live in a poverish community and even I know that you HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. Well said and I believe every single word you've written. Now, what can we all do about it other than sit here and debate the issue!!!!!!!

riccoismydog

I grew up poor, single mother on welfare poor.

We didn't always have a lot to eat, but it was healthy food.

The yearly tax return, instead of buying a new tv or clothes went to half a cow in the freezer.

Rice, dried beans, ect are all cheap.

I have heard that poor neighbourhoods in the US do not have access to real supermarkets. Just another reason I am so happy I am not American.

Even the poorest neighbourhood in Canada has a super market.



Now I live in the DR. People here live off of 200 dollars a month. Even the roughest Barrio has a veggie stand, a butcher and a colmado that sells the basics.

Cost of living breakdown here....

Fifty to seventy five dollars to rent an apartment in the Barrio.
Fifty dollars for cell phones. (phone lines are minimal here so this is a necessity)
Another fifty for hair and entertainment.
Leaves fifty dollars for food and bus service.
Notice I left out internet and cable??? When you are poor you should spend that money on food, that is obvious here, but how many poor people in North America have deluxe cable and high speed internet.


Heres the kicker, no one here is obese, no one here is starving (there are exceptions) Rice and beans and chicken are cheap and is the national dish. No one can afford the junk. Rice and beans are cheap everywhere, so this is not a regional thing.

You can eat healthy cheap. You just have to take some time to learn how to cook.

People here also live day to day. It is normal to see someone buy one plantain (approximately five cents) one clove of garlic ect.

But the kids look healthy, they are much happier. Not to mention, the kids here go out and play...they aren't cooped up indoors like our North American children who cannot play outside because it is not safe. I played outside when I was a kid, but I never see kids outside here in Canada, even in the nicest neighbourhoods.

The kids in North America are all sitting in front of the computer, or TV. Poor or not.

Not learning how to cook is lazy. I could cook a meal at six years old. It isn't rocket science, but like everything it is a skill.

As for not having a grocery store near your home, get on the darn bus, go to the next neighbourhood.

People would just rather eat crap, and that is the truth.

prattiger65

I grew up in middle Alabama, literally dirt road poor. I am the youngest of 4, so, our family was 6. I can remember very well eating black eyed peas with fatback, turnip or collard greens and cornbread EVERYDAY for weeks. Sometimes we would get sweet potato and occasionally we would have rice and tomato. We were all lean and healthy. Quite frankly, those were the best days of my life. It was well into the 70's before we had a window unit A/C. As a child I played outside, rode my bicycle, hunted or went fishing. No video games, no TV, no internet or anything else to keep me inside. Poor America today has a great many more resources than we did coming up. There are no excuses. To say they cant afford to be healthy is crap. Total crap. I cant speak about other counties, but here in the states there is just no excuse.

Curleycue0314

While i agree with you to an extent i'll also argue that yes you can feed a family of 4 for less than $200 a week. My Weekly grocery budget is 1/2 of that! I buy in bulk and also shop seasonal fruits and veggies. I also shop at farmers markets and a little amish shop that is in my neighborhood. Its not just what they are eating, but the quantity.

Out in the country, they don't have farmer's markets and bulk stores. :frown: Where I grew up in Alabama, you had to drive about 30 mins. to get to the one tiny grocery store in the nearest town, and I didn't even know what a farmer's market was until I moved to a big city.

Hey i grew up in the country and there is no excuss for not growing your food if you live out there! I too had to drive to get to a bulk store. There was a monthy shopping trip when i was a child that was done and that was it. we grew veggies. Now living in the city I still grow, there is no reason why anyone with a backyard can't grow their own produce and eat cleanly!

riccoismydog

Obesity is a matter of too many calories and not enough exercise. Poverty is not going to cause that. Yes, there is a correlation between poverty and obesity in some countries, but that doesn't equal causation.

I'd put my money on a lack of self control (which all children naturally have), combined with parents who either don't care, or who lack the ability to say "no" to their children, along with the parents modeling poor eating behavior.

I'm sorry, but do you know how elitist this sounds? I do a lot of advocacy work with the poor in my community particularly around food security for families. We live in a middle class neighbourhood on the edge of an impoverished area and I was shocked to find out that most of the kids my son goes to school work don't get any meals other than the ones provided by the breakfast program. It's not a lack of care from their parents, it's a complete and total lack of resources. A lot of people are also too ashamed to ask for help because they face discrimination and shaming, as so eloquently modeled in your post above.

i am sorry to say and I will probably get bashed for what I am about to say.. but as a mother NOTHING would come in the way of feeding my kids. What responsible mother would allow her kids to eat 1 free provided meal? I would wear rags from the thrift shop and sell my body if that is the only way i could feed my kids. I would go without a phone or tv to feed my kids. There is Nothing more important than providing for your children.
If It means i need to go to the library and read a book on how to cook bulk dried beans than that is what it means.

Not knowing how to cook is not an excuse not to feed your kids

Not having access to healthy food is not an excuse not to plant some seeds in an old bucket on your porch

Not having time is no reason, you can get a used crock pot at the thrift shop and prepare meals in 3 minutes in the morning

There is always a way, and there is usually a program.

I probably sound like an elitist to you too, but I was on govt assistance when I was a young mother and I know first hand that when there is a will, there is a way. There is no excuse to neglect your children ever.

I agree with you 100% When my son was young he was diagnosed with Celiac. I was 18. No family. Still working on an education. Father out of the picture, no support from him.

I did whatever was necessary to feed my son. I didn't have nice things or dress fancy, I was tired all the time.

But my son was healthy and happy. I did not want to perpetuate the cycle of being a welfare mom depending on crappy handouts that would have made him sick.

I didn't have a car, couldn't afford it. I couldn't afford anything that wasn't the basics.

You make sacrifices when you have children, and when you are poor they are huge.

midwesternwind

As for myself and my kids... single mom working two jobs, I do the best I can to make sure there is food on the table for my kids growing up. I lived and still live paycheck to paycheck for bills. I don't get food stamps/snap but I do clip coupons but a lot of coupons are for name brand items which are usually higher even after the coupons are taken off. We eat a lot of pasta and hamburger meals or chicken meals, homemade noodles, french fries. I don't like to buy frozen dinners because I know they are usually unhealthy and I don't like box meals either. I try to make homemade. I can't afford the prices at our farmers market for fresh veggies and fruits. I am thankful I have a father who plants a garden every year (him being 83) but as my kids were growing up and I not having a lot of veggies and fruits, my kids won't eat veggies and a lot of fruits. I on the other hand love only fresh tomatoes or potatoes. I remember my mom fixing veggies growing up but I wasn't forced to eat them. Yes two of my three kids are over weight as I am. My kids are in their teens and 20s now and they learned to cook and eat as we did when I was raising them. I blame myself because of their eating habits. Like I said before....you buy what you can when you don't have money to feed your kids. Growing up also my kids weren't the type just just sit around...we did things outside for exercise but it was never enough.

Just my say on obesity and proverty from my expirence

Curleycue0314

. As a child I played outside, rode my bicycle, hunted or went fishing. No video games, no TV, no internet or anything else to keep me inside. Poor America today has a great many more resources than we did coming up. There are no excuses. To say they cant afford to be healthy is crap. Total crap. I cant speak about other counties, but here in the states there is just no excuse.

THIS ALL THIS!!!!

KiKiWoods

Want to know what else comes with poverty and obesity? DEPRESSION! I truly believe that some of the poor eating we are talking about is a bit of self medication. A hamburger, fries, and a large sugar filled drink has got to be as good as any store bought anti depressant. There is an emotional element to food that has to be taken into account. Not to mention it is hard to break habits and behaviors that have been ingrained since childhood. We ALL know that change is not easy. So, now the person must change; which is hard but also give up one of the few things that makes them feel good. I am not accepting this as the be all, end all reason but I think that understanding all sides of a problem can go a long way in fixing it.

BrendaLee

Anyone who thinks the connection between obesity and poverty can be explained away with a couple of obtuse statements shouldn't be harping on about anyone else's lack of intelligence or education. Life in poverty is a miserable life. When you are miserable, you often make poor choices to try to feel better in the moment. When you live in poverty, life becomes a series of those moments. Few people take into account the fact that there is a strong link between poverty and depression, especially in affluent countries where poverty isn't the norm. Blanket statements about the cost of healthy food and lack of education only touch on part of the reality.

Tamicejl

I agree with this. Are there problems? Absolutely. But, it still comes down to personal responsibility.

Rice, eggs, frozen veggies, beans, frozen chicken, apples, lettuce and bananas are all pretty inexpensive. And people could garden. Seeds are dirt cheap. If you have a backyard, you *could* grow some veggies.


I got an issue with this.... these things are inexpensive for you. These things for people on public assistance is very expensive. I feel compelled to say .... if you live in an apartment there is nowhere to garden.... no backyard. I see there are issues in this country and it is dividing line. Those that live below the poverty line have less options than those who don't. Grocery stores are taken out of neighborhoods and replaced with fast food joints...

I got an issue with that.

spacemuffins

Same here, my mum worked full time, we were a single parent family on low income, but we ate healthy. Every Saturday we each dragged 2 heavy bags from the market.

My mum shopped at Iceland and Aldi (as I still do!) and very rarely bought convenience food because although fresh meat and vegetables were more expensive, they would go further than just one meal if she took the time to cook.

And I think we went to McDonalds maybe twice a year as a treat.

I think it's very dependent on where you live though. I'm the same as you. We lived somewhere with lots of shops and markets so we could shop around. It would take her a whole day of cycling to all the different supermarkets and markets etc to find the cheapest reduced food items.

Bernadette60614

Anyone who thinks the connection between obesity and poverty can be explained away with a couple of obtuse statements shouldn't be harping on about anyone else's lack of intelligence or education. Life in poverty is a miserable life. When you are miserable, you often make poor choices to try to feel better in the moment. When you live in poverty, life becomes a series of those moments. Few people take into account the fact that there is a strong link between poverty and depression, especially in affluent countries where poverty isn't the norm. Blanket statements about the cost of healthy food and lack of education only touch on part of the reality.

Yes!

And, does anyone else see the irony of people who are joined together on a weight loss site concluding that people who are overweight are lazy?

Something else which I think joins people who are struggling with their weight from all ends of the economic spectrum: Damn, it feels good to feel superior to someone...and that smug "Oh, you just have to make better choices" superiority is something which I think all of us have experienced.

Overweight people and poor people...two groups to which everyone can feel morally superior...

MommaKit79

I will probably be bashed for this... HOWEVER, I'm putting it out there anyway.

I agree with you 110% and have thought for a very long time, that we need to find a way to help the people we have living here in our own country, and slow down on helping the other countries. Part of the reason we are falling apart as a country is because we have stopped looking inside and taking care of our own. We MUST fix the things that are broken here before we can go to other countries and fix what is broken.

When we were a stronger country, helping others was vitally important, but in doing so we have lost sight of our own countries needs! I find it extremely sad.

Ok, I'm going to get off of my soap box, because I could go on forever with this :sad:

^^Completely agree!!!^^

ChgingMe

As for not having a grocery store near your home, get on the darn bus, go to the next neighbourhood.

Yep. My mom caught a bus to go to the store or for the price of a couple dollars gas the neighbor took her.

Curleycue0314

While i agree with you to an extent i'll also argue that yes you can feed a family of 4 for less than $200 a week. My Weekly grocery budget is 1/2 of that! I buy in bulk and also shop seasonal fruits and veggies. I also shop at farmers markets and a little amish shop that is in my neighborhood. Its not just what they are eating, but the quantity.

Not getting into the debate but you have to HAVE the extra money to buy in bulk, so for the very poor it isn't an option.

No this is simply Budgeting your money 101, it has NOTHING to do with extra money, there is no such thing as extra money when it comes to a budget!

Wade406

Now I live in the DR. People here live off of 200 dollars a month. Even the roughest Barrio has a veggie stand, a butcher and a colmado that sells the basics.

Cost of living breakdown here....

Fifty to seventy five dollars to rent an apartment in the Barrio.
Fifty dollars for cell phones. (phone lines are minimal here so this is a necessity)
Another fifty for hair and entertainment.
Leaves fifty dollars for food and bus service.
Notice I left out internet and cable??? When you are poor you should spend that money on food, that is obvious here, but how many poor people in North America have deluxe cable and high speed internet.


Heres the kicker, no one here is obese, no one here is starving (there are exceptions) Rice and beans and chicken are cheap and is the national dish. No one can afford the junk. Rice and beans are cheap everywhere, so this is not a regional thing.

You can eat healthy cheap. You just have to take some time to learn how to cook.

People here also live day to day. It is normal to see someone buy one plantain (approximately five cents) one clove of garlic ect.

But the kids look healthy, they are much happier. Not to mention, the kids here go out and play...they aren't cooped up indoors like our North American children who cannot play outside because it is not safe. I played outside when I was a kid, but I never see kids outside here in Canada, even in the nicest neighbourhoods.

The kids in North America are all sitting in front of the computer, or TV. Poor or not.

Not learning how to cook is lazy. I could cook a meal at six years old. It isn't rocket science, but like everything it is a skill.

As for not having a grocery store near your home, get on the darn bus, go to the next neighbourhood.

People would just rather eat crap, and that is the truth.

My grown daughter lives in Jarabacoa (DR). She lives Grand for $400/month (eating out all the time). But unfortunately she does make poor food choices. The lifestyle of the average person in the DR is better for health than in North America for sure.

For 5 months now I've been eating whole foods plant based. I live in the US and my food costs about $6/day total, including eating out. I eat lots of beans and rice. I make my own tortillas. I get fresh fruit and vegetables from a co-op. I don't eat processed foods unless I just can't get around it. If its not good for me, I don't eat it, simple as that.

Meat is bad for us. Dairy is horrible for us. Eggs have choline and cholesterol. Our gut flora turns carnitine and choline into TMAO, which apparantly is linked to heart disease, likely by facilitating cholesterol turning into plaque and causing atherosclorosis.

Processed food is cheap and contains lots of empty calories. The reason we can't resist foods is because we are by nature efficient creatures trying to get the most calories in the easiest way possible. That's why that food is so yummy. But its a pleasure trap, because companies want to sell product, so they make this stuff extra super duper yummy, and in turn its killing us. Our perception of taste for desirable foods becomes twisted, and we just seek what we believe is yummy, but what we believe is warped.

And so then we go on a diet, and restrict portions, all the while eating less of these yummy things, but can only go so long because we aren't satiated that way. We eventually go off the diet because our appetite isn't satisfied.

So I got off the merry-go-round, and have been completely satisfied, and am within 10 pounds of my ideal weight. Basically, the best foods don't have labels. They are found on the fresh produce aisle.

My simple rule of thumb: If it doesn't have fiber in it, I don't eat it. All animal foods have zero fiber. Olive oil has zero fiber. Olives and avocados and nuts on the other hand have fiber.

Beans, whole grains, fruits, an vegetables have all the protein, fat, and carbs we need (macros), and all the vitamins and minerals we need (micros). And if you buy these whole foods in their raw state, they are cheap.

bcattoes

Anyone who thinks the connection between obesity and poverty can be explained away with a couple of obtuse statements shouldn't be harping on about anyone else's lack of intelligence or education. Life in poverty is a miserable life. When you are miserable, you often make poor choices to try to feel better in the moment. When you live in poverty, life becomes a series of those moments. Few people take into account the fact that there is a strong link between poverty and depression, especially in affluent countries where poverty isn't the norm. Blanket statements about the cost of healthy food and lack of education only touch on part of the reality.

This is an important point. Attitude can sometimes be an important factor in how poverty affects a family.

I lived below or at the poverty level for many years when I was a young single mother. I sometimes worked 2 jobs to make ends meet. My girls don't remember being poor because we were happy. Sometimes when I mention how poor we used to be they say "I know we didn't have a lot of money, but we weren't "poor". We were. Times were hard. Really hard sometimes. Panicky, can't sleep at night hard sometimes. But I never put that on them. We still played and laughed and lived our lives. I guess they thought I spent my free time sewing and cooking because I enjoyed it. And that the utilities were sometimes off for a few days because mom was forgetful.

I never had a weight problem then though. Now that I have plenty of money I struggle to keep my weight down. But poverty may play a role in that because only being able to afford to eat at home I became a good cook and perhaps I love to eat out so much because I was denied it for so long.

Espressocycle

Part of it is home economics though. Things like beans, cabbage and rice are cheaper than eating at McDonad's, but you have to know how to cook them.

MagicalLeopleurodon

I was reading through the thread about who is to blame for obese children. The unanimous consensus is that it's the parents' fault. While I agree to a certain extent, I think people are forgetting a few key pieces of info. Let's take a look at Mississippi. It's the #1 poorest state in the nation. It's also the #1 most obese state in the nation. It's also the #1 most hunger stricken state in the nation. How could that be? How can people be starving AND obese!? It doesn't make sense. Or does it?

If you go to the grocery and buy enough fresh, whole food to feed a family of four for a week, you'll likely spend no less than $200. Good, fresh, real food is terribly expensive. Crap food is not! A cheeseburger, fries, and coke at McDonalds cost $3. A salad at McDonalds cost $6. Fresh produce and meat is expensive compared to ramen noodles and Vienna sausages. It's next to impossible for people living in poverty to eat healthy food!

I don't know how to fix that, but I know that something needs to change if we're going to solve the obesity epidemic in this country!

people pay for convinience. we're below the poverty line. instead of giving in to the junk, we have a garden. we raise chickens. we hunt. laziness is a bigger factor than money.

michelle7673

About 16% of Americans are below the poverty line. But more than twice that number are obese, and that's not even counting the "merely" overweight.
There are definitely a lot of obese Americans who are so poor that they simply cannot afford or access good choices. But that is not the whole story. The numbers just don't support that conclusion.