Obesity and poverty...

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!

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.

Of course they aren't 100% accurate. But the pill is 99%. Condoms don't have any side effects. and as for married couples not using BC, what do you think we stop having sex. Or do we just have unlimited children. I've been married for 25 years and until my husbands surgery a few years ago I was on the pill. And I have friends (married) who only use condoms. Your argument isn't valid.

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.

Yeeeeah, but try getting kids to eat it. Mine are VERY picky.

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.

Of course they aren't 100% accurate. But the pill is 99%. Condoms don't have any side effects. and as for married couples not using BC, what do you think we stop having sex. Or do we just have unlimited children. I've been married for 25 years and until my husbands surgery a few years ago I was on the pill. And I have friends (married) who only use condoms. Your argument isn't valid.

Maybe my argument is not valid to you and your situation but that does not apply to everyone. I have two kids, both of them are birth control babies (two different forms of BC I might add). I almost had third (also while on birth control) but the damn thing implanted in my Fallopian tube and just about killed me. Finally, after my having my second I had my tubes tied. and I had to CONVINCE the doctor to perform the procedure because I'm "young". That is alot to go through to just stop having babies. So my point is valid.

I reiterate my original statement, 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.

again I say politicians are NOT trying to limit access to birth control. They just don't think the gov't should pay for it. And I agree. It is not the governments responsibility to make sure we don't conceive. That lies within us.

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.

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.

Exactly!

Yeeeeah, but try getting kids to eat it. Mine are VERY picky.

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.

Um, there are some good points here but also some nonsense.

I see no points of nonsense in the first posters argument. In fact, it's very articulate and an empathetic mind could really see the struggle of those who cant afford "healthy food.

The issue of poverty and obesity will only be solved with radical education and changing the whole institution of food distribution and marketing.

In fact, by taking an empathetic approach sometimes one can get more done and change the mindset of another. It's easier to educate when you understand that the reason "Maria" is only feeding fries and chicken nuggets to her kids is because she works there and gets to take the left over home the next step is finding out where we can make other changes and sometimes it literally takes a whole village so "Maria" can get fresh fruit on her table.

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.

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

Well, there would have to be a heck of a lot more psych wards bc it's called food advocacy. Have you ever seen factory farming? Have you ever wondered why substances that are banned in other countries (potassium bromate, GMO's, phalphates etc) are allowed into our food supply. Go ahead and keep those blinders on sista'. My kiddos aren't eating that crap bc I prefer for them not to have cancer. I actually feel sorry for you.

Well, there would have to be a heck of a lot more psych wards bc it's called food advocacy. Have you ever seen factory farming? Have you ever wondered why substances that are banned in other countries (potassium bromate, GMO's, phalphates etc) are allowed into our food supply. Go ahead and keep those blinders on sista'. My kiddos aren't eating that crap bc I prefer for them not to have cancer. I actually feel sorry for you.