Obesity and poverty...

I see alot talk about those who are receiving food stamps and other types of government assistance. But what about those families who do not qualify for any state assistance but do not make enough money to thrive on. I don't think the issue is just as simple as to stop having babies especially when some politicians are determined to restrict access to birth control. I think there are larger issues at play.

I think we have to step back ( me included) and realize that there are at least 2 kinds of poverty. On the one hand we have the people who are poor. Who are doing the best they know how with what they are given. They don't always make the best choices but they try to fit in the healthier alternatives when and where they can. They may or may not have the resources like good quality food to choose from but when the opportunity presents itself to do better they always choose that

The second kind of poverty is the single mom who by choice has had baby after baby. She knows to do better but its just so much easier to get help every month from a government she never sees and from tax payers she couldn't care less about. If given the choice she would get her hair or nails done rather then feed her kids and thinks its up to the state to not only educate her kids on how to do better but support her kids.

That's just my take on it.

It's not sexist. Most single men don't qualify for public assistance.

That is quite the classist/sexist statement. I think that is a huge generalization of individuals who are living in abject poverty. That sets-up quite the dichotomy and limits the ability to think outside the box.

Forgive me for saying this,but I don't even go to a grocery store for the first few days of the month because it's just too heart breaking to see the over-weight & "under-privileged" loading up their grocery carts with bologna, sugary treats, soda, chips, pudding, junk & other "food" for their families.

Just as many people complain when those on assistance buy things like meat or milk from animals raised w/o antibiotics and hormones, wild caught fish over farm raised, organic produce or other higher priced healthy options.

Oh, puhleezeee... people see what they want to see! Do you how many educated and wealthier families buy that crap too? And did you stalk this family to see if they were paying with food stamps? Judgey Mcjudgey. I grew up with a single mom that made $24,000 a year and we has many nights where we were hungry. My mom didn't feed us junk food because we couldn't afford it, but in America there's a total lack of education regarding what is healthy! GMOs, processed foods, pesticide laden produce. People living below the poverty line are not shopping at Whole Foods and they would be judged if they were too.

The problem is American has a corporate controlled food supply. Eat the crap so you get cancer so that we can treat you with drugs.

I would be curious to know how many of the people who are pointing out how inexpensive it can be to purchase healthy foods, are actually living in impoverished areas with high access to convenience foods but little access to fresh produce and meat. How many work multiple jobs and must use public transportation to transport these bulk groceries home. How many have commutes that put them home late at night, where they can then begin cooking a healthy dinner from scratch. How many grew up with parents instiling poor nutrition habits that they themselves took initiative to break. How many decided to take up the task of learning how to cook in addition to the stresses of work, childcare, and barely making ends meet.

I get that you can go to the grocery store and buy bulk foods, vegetables, etc. and spend less over the course of a week or a month than you would purchasing cheap convenience foods. Sure. But there are other factors that don't always make this the most realistic option.

I do think everyone (regardless of financial status) is capable of improving their health and nutrition. I just don't like to see it explained away as something that is equally feasible for everyone.

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.

I hear this quite often in the media about how children are not fed at home and school food programs are their only source of nutrition. I don't get that at all. You mean to tell me you don't have ANY money to feed your kids? The ONLY meals they get are at school? What are the parents eating? They must be starving to death if they can't afford food but I don't seem to hear many news stories about that. My conclusion: the food money is spent on other things. Otherwise, the parents would be dropping like flies.

I'm glad we all agree that the problem is people shouldn't drop out babies if they can't afford to feed them.

Wow.. That's a thought.. But it ain't gonna happen as long as children are so lucrative for some. :frown:

When I was at the Social Security office getting my card, the dude at the booth beside me was asking how much the payouts would increase if he had 1 more kid, 2 more kids, 3 more kids... and he was taking notes on all the different things that would boost the payout and the SS employee was more than happy to oblige.

My mom in law retired from the state welfare office. The stories she told were incredible, and quite sad.. The waste and abuse of the system is legendary. The ones who need it a lot of the time don't qualify. and the ones who do, abuse it. You aren't allowed to question even though Ms Jones is telling you her children's father ran out on them, but you know for a fact he is in the waiting room waiting for them. Or the woman who gets emergency assistance and you see her an hour later getting her nails done. You still can't question them. Many choose that lifestyle because it pays well. Why try to do better if you don't need to.. Unfortunately the kids are the ones who suffer.

<b>There is a sub-culture emerging</b> where this "life-style" is socially acceptable and even something to (ironically) aspire for *ahem* settle for. Forgive me for saying this,but I don't even go to a grocery store for the first few days of the month because it's just too heart breaking to see the over-weight & "under-privileged" loading up their grocery carts with bologna, sugary treats, soda, chips, pudding, junk & other "food" for their families.

How long until bypass surgeries are covered on public health care?

I would be curious to know how many of the people who are pointing out how inexpensive it can be to purchase healthy foods, are actually living in impoverished areas with high access to convenience foods but little access to fresh produce and meat. How many work multiple jobs and must use public transportation to transport these bulk groceries home. How many have commutes that put them home late at night, where they can then begin cooking a healthy dinner from scratch. How many grew up with parents instiling poor nutrition habits that they themselves took initiative to break. How many decided to take up the task of learning how to cook in addition to the stresses of work, childcare, and barely making ends meet.

I get that you can go to the grocery store and buy bulk foods, vegetables, etc. and spend less over the course of a week or a month than you would purchasing cheap convenience foods. Sure. But there are other factors that don't always make this the most realistic option.

I do think everyone (regardless of financial status) is capable of improving their health and nutrition. I just don't like to see it explained away as something that is equally feasible for everyone.

I don't believe we are saying its equally feasible for everyone. But I believe where there is a will there will always be a way.. My mother made meals ahead of time. She was usually home from work (by bus) at 5:15 every night. Yet I had home cooked meals all the time. The problem with some- not all- some. is that they are lazy. Many do try their best and still fail. But many more fail to try. I've seen it, with coworkers as well as heard stories of the abuse within the system from family who works there.

Forgive me for saying this,but I don't even go to a grocery store for the first few days of the month because it's just too heart breaking to see the over-weight & "under-privileged" loading up their grocery carts with bologna, sugary treats, soda, chips, pudding, junk & other "food" for their families.

Just as many people complain when those on assistance buy things like meat or milk from animals raised w/o antibiotics and hormones, wild caught fish over farm raised, organic produce or other higher priced healthy options.

Oh, puhleezeee... people see what they want to see! Do you how many educated and wealthier families buy that crap too? And did you stalk this family to see if they were paying with food stamps? Judgey Mcjudgey. I grew up with a single mom that made $24,000 a year and we has many nights where we were hungry. My mom didn't feed us junk food because we couldn't afford it, but in America there's a total lack of education regarding what is healthy! GMOs, processed foods, pesticide laden produce. People living below the poverty line are not shopping at Whole Foods and they would be judged if they were too.

The problem is American has a corporate controlled food supply. Eat the crap so you get cancer so that we can treat you with drugs.

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.

As someone who actually came from a poverty-stricken background, allow me to shed a little light on a lot of people's situation. I'm not going to give my opinion on the topic itself, just some information for other people to consider before they do. If you haven't been horribly poor you really do not have any idea of how to guess what you'd do in the situation.

1) Sometimes your family has no way to get to a grocery store often, so you shop at what's nearby, usually at convenience stores. Most convenience stores do not sell fruits and vegetables, only non-perishable items. Sometimes the nearest grocery store sucks, and you can't afford any better.

1.5) When you have little money, you want your food to feed many mouths and/or last a long time. With most perishables being at a week or so, the incentive to buy is very low.

2) Sometimes there is literally no yard or even a patio/balcony. You are apartment 15F in a 20-story building full of people just like you. No one is doing any gardening.

2.5) No grocery store owner in is right mind wants to open a grocery store in your neighborhood because he doesn't want to be robbed, or have people steal his merchandise.

3) Your live with your mother who works 2 jobs.

4) Your dad pays no child support and doesn't pick you up to have dinner or go to the park for a run.

5) When your mom wants to make you smile, she buys you candy and "treats". The neighbors give you candy and treats, too, because you and your friends are good kids, and candy is cheap.

6) You're not taught nutrition in school. You go to a school that sucks because it gets almost no funding because the students do poorly on their tests, and your teacher spends half the day disciplining other students. He or she spends one third of the school year preparing you for standardized tests that most students will fail.

6.5) Schools themselves are serving students things that are not healthful. Pizza (recently deemed a vegetable in the US, by the way) tater tots, and brown meat served with instant potatoes isn't setting the best example.

7) People in poverty usually have very little education. Don't assume they should know they need to eat healthier.

8) They are raised to keep hunger away (just as our public school food system continues to model), not to be nutritionally balanced. Think of comfort foods, and remember why they bring comfort. They're filling and swimming in salt and butter or grease, and they make you feel good.

9) Your brain associates hunger with stress. Your mom can't afford to buy a better car, a couch that has all 4 legs and no rips in it, a coffee maker to replace her old one, but she will be damned if she can't feed you and you have to feel what she felt when she was a hungry little kid living just like you do now.

Oh, puhleezeee... people see what they want to see! Do you how many educated and wealthier families buy that crap too? And did you stalk this family to see if they were paying with food stamps? Judgey Mcjudgey. I grew up with a single mom that made $24,000 a year and we has many nights where we were hungry. My mom didn't feed us junk food because we couldn't afford it, but in America there's a total lack of education regarding what is healthy! GMOs, processed foods, pesticide laden produce. People living below the poverty line are not shopping at Whole Foods and they would be judged if they were too.

The problem is American has a corporate controlled food supply. Eat the crap so you get cancer so that we can treat you with drugs.



You are literally insane and I wish I could admit you to a psych ward for your paranoia.

I see alot talk about those who are receiving food stamps and other types of government assistance. But what about those families who do not qualify for any state assistance but do not make enough money to thrive on. I don't think the issue is just as simple as to stop having babies especially when some politicians are determined to restrict access to birth control. I think there are larger issues at play.

Im going off topic. No politician is trying to limit access to birth control. they just don't think the Federal Gov't should subsidize peoples sex habits. Condoms are sold in drug stores and there is a variety of other forms of BC women can take.

again I agee. It's not the governments responsibility to make sure you don't get knocked up its yours. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY PEOPLE. if you don't want babies don't have unprotected sex.

This is targeted towards single women of course. First, none of those methods are 100% guaranteed to not produce a baby. Let's not even get into the crazy side effects many of these birth control methods have on women. Second, I find it highly unlikely that married folks are going to be using protection (isn't that a benefit of being married) so I feel that point is mute under these circumstances. My point is that the issue goes deeper than to just stop reproducing children. he issue is way more complex than that.

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!

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!