RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND OBESITY IN CHILDREN

Relationship between poverty and obesity in children

Relationship between poverty and obesity in children

Abstract

Many health disparities in the United States are linked to inequalities in education and income. This review focuses on the relation between obesity and diet quality, dietary energy density, and energy costs. Evidence is provided to support the following points. First, the highest rates of obesity occur among population groups with the highest poverty rates and the least education. Second, there is an inverse relation between energy density (MJ/kg) and energy cost ($/MJ), such that energy-dense foods composed of refined grains, added sugars, or fats may represent the lowest-cost option to the consumer. Third, the high energy density and palatability of sweets and fats are associated with higher energy intakes, at least in clinical and laboratory studies. Fourth, poverty and food insecurity are associated with lower food expenditures, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and lower-quality diets. A reduction in diet costs in linear programming models leads to high-fat, energy-dense diets that are similar in composition to those consumed by low-income groups.

Introdution

Rising rates of obesity in the United States have been linked to food supply trends and to the growing consumption of energy-dense foods (1-4). An increased consumption of snacks (5), caloric beverages (6, 7), and fast foods (8) by children and young adults has been shown repeatedly to be associated with obesity and excess weight gain. Studies have examined the contribution to the obesity epidemic of dietary sugars and fats (6, 9), larger portion sizes (10), and the lower nutrient density of foods eaten away from home (11). The content of school lunches has been scrutinized (12), and even food-assistance programs have come under attack for their alleged role in "fattening the poor" (13, 14).

Rationale of the Study

Public health policies for the prevention of obesity increasingly call for taxes and levies on fats and sweets, both to discourage their consumption and to help promote alternative and healthier food choices (15, 16). Past studies on dietary antecedents of obesity have addressed taste preferences for sugar and fat as well as preferences for energy-dense foods (17-19). In contrast, the relation between fat and sugar consumption, dietary energy density (MJ/kg), and energy costs ($/MJ) has not been explored. Establishing associative links between obesity, dietary energy density, and energy costs is the chief focus of this report.

Importance of the Study

The study is important as it discusses that Obesity rates in the United States have risen sharply over the past 2 decades (20-22). By 1999-2000, 64% of adults aged >= 20 y were classified as overweight and 30% were classified as obese. Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) > 25, whereas obesity is defined as a BMI > 30 (20). A sharp increase in the number of massively obese people (BMI > 35) has been observed in certain population subgroups (23).

Statement of Problem

There is no question that the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States follow a socioeconomic ...