Hunger & Obesity

In addition to hunger and food insecurity, obesity has been steadily increasing throughout the US; in Utah it has increased from less than 10% in 1986 to 23.5% in 2009.

What is more, the highest prevalence of obesity is in the low-income population. Food insecure women and children have the highest risk of obesity. Although hunger and obesity might seem to be contradictory, these health problems are overlapping in communities, families, and individuals.

Why is this?
According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), researchers are finding a number of reasons.

Limited Resources

• When money is tight, food is usually restricted first—before rent, mortgages, utilities, or other bills. In addition, the quality of food is compromised before quantity. This means that food insecure families tend to stretch their food money by buying cheaper, energy dense foods, which are higher in fat, sugar and calories and lower in fiber, water, and nutrients. These foods are less expensive, but often do not add up to a balanced, healthy diet.
• Another factor contributing to the hunger-obesity conundrum is the lack of access to healthy foods. Low-income neighborhoods often lack well-stocked grocery stores and are forced to rely on corner stores or gas stations whose produce inventory is lacking. Research shows that the distance one lives from a grocery store is inversely related to one’s intake of healthful foods, including fruits and vegetables.¹ To confound this problem, fast food restaurants are most common in low-income areas.²

Physiology

• Food insecure households often experience periods of food deprivation (such as at the end of the month when paychecks and food stamps can begin to run low). Over time our bodies adapt to periodic lack of food, by triggering overeating when food is available and more quickly storing fat. This cycle is especially common in mothers.
• Also, food insecure households are often under more stress than higher income households due to job demands and difficulty paying bills.^3,4 In addition to triggering unhealthy eating behaviors, this stress produces hormonal changes in our bodies that slow down our bodies’ metabolism.

Less Opportunity for Physical Activity

• Low-income neighborhoods are often less safe and less appealing to be active in. Also, low-income kids are less likely to participate in P.E., recess, and organized sports.^5,6,7

References

1. Boyle, M.A., and Holben, D.H. (2006). Community Nutrition in Action: An Entrepreneurial Approach. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
2. Fleischhacker, S.E., Evenson, K. R., Rodriguez, D.A., & Ammerman, A.S. (2010). A systematic review of fast food access studies. Obesity Reviews, February 8, 2010 (Epub ahead of print).
3. Block, J.P., He, Y., Zaslavsky, A.M., Ding, L., & Ayanian, J Z. (2009). Psychosocial stress and change in weight among U.S. adults. American Journal of Epidemiology, 170(2), 181-192.
4. Lohman, B.J., Stewart, S., Gundersen, C., Garasky, S., & Eisenmann, J.C. (2009). Adolescent
5. overweight and obesity: links to food insecurity and individual, maternal, and family stressors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(3), 230-237.
6. Barros, R.M., Silver, E J., & Stein, R.E. (2009). School recess and group classroom behavior. Pediatrics,123(2), 431-436.
7. UCLA Center to Eliminate Health Disparities & Samuels and Associates. (2007). Failing Fitness: Physical Activity and Physical Education in Schools. Available at:
8. http://www.calendow.org/uploadedFiles/failing_fitness.pdf. Accessed September 22, 2009.Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(3), 230-237.
9. Duke, J., Huhman, M., & Heitzler, C. (2003). Physical activity levels among children aged 9-13 years –United States, 2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 52(33), 785-788.

Other References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011). Retrieved from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/.

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Why Low-Income and Food Insecure People are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity. (2010). Retrieved from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/.

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Relationship Between Hunger and Overweight or Obesity. (2010). Retrieved from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/.