Poverty and Obesity

Gallop just released its Wellbeing report today (see report) and the city I live in is in the top 10 for most obese in the United States.  1/3rd of the residents of my city are obese (more than a quarter of the adults in the U.S. are obese) .  The CDC defines obesity as someone with a body mass index above 30.  For example a 5 foot 9 inch person would be obese if they weigh over 203 lbs.  The Gallup report also links obesity with poverty.  The 10 cities with the highest rates of obesity have more residents that are less likely to be able to afford to buy food at all times and an annual mean wage that is almost 20% less than the least obese cities.  It seems counter intuitive that people who can't afford food weigh more than those that can.  There is a good reason for this though.  The fast food industry has provided a readily available supply of cheap calories.  Many poor urban and rural areas are food deserts, meaning there are significant barriers for residents in those areas to get to a grocery store that has healthy food options.  Instead residents in those areas often only have access to fast food and convenience stores.  You can get your recommended 2000 calories a day for about $4 at most fast food joints (of course that usually comes in one meal - hence the obesity issue!).  

My top 10 city has a plethora of fast food chains and convenience stores in its small downtown.   Significant portions of my city also qualify as being a food desert (see the USDA map to find your location).   28% of its residents live below the poverty level (87% of cities in the U.S. with a population of more than 65,000 have lower poverty rates).  No wonder we are obese.  My city and the U.S. is getting fatter every year.  The costs come in poor health with higher rates of heart disease and type II diabetes.  We all pay whether it is through our own poor health or through the increased cost of health care.

There are solutions.  One is to bring healthier foods into food deserts.  Starting farmers markets or community gardens in low income neighborhoods for example.  Insisting that our public schools serve our children healthy foods and educating community members about healthy eating are other ideas.  We must do something or pretty soon most of us won't even be able to get up off the couch.