Perhaps you’ve encountered this paradox: many people who experience low food security have an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese (1). On the surface, this seems odd – that you might have a shortage of food yet are likely to weigh more than those with ample food choices. I believe that last word gives us the key to unlocking the paradox: choice.
When funds are scarce, it’s difficult – or even impossible – to make the best nutrition choices. Parents may be concerned by their children’s future, people working multiple jobs may be too exhausted to cook fresh meals, some may not have adequate appliances to store or prepare food, the list is endless! When you are rightfully obsessed with your own survival, how can you possibly make well considered choices? I’ve never been in this position, but I feel that I’d be grabbing the chocolate and comfort foods whenever I could. Maintaining a healthy weight would not be on my mind.
Nearly 23% of people with obesity in the United States have reported food insecurity, compared with 15% of people with moderate weight. This association with obesity has doubled since 1999–2000, according to a recent analysis of trends in food insecurity (2).
What exactly is food security? There are four conditions which must be met to have secure access to a nutritious diet: (3):
- Food must be physically available to you.
- You must have sufficient income to purchase the food.
- You must be able to prepare, eat, and biologically utilize the nutritious food.
- Your food supply must be unaffected by political, weather, or other outside forces, which could result in an adequate food supply.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, there is a cycle at work here which is difficult to overcome (3). See the image below:
While the problem is not as severe in some nations, we can see what’s at work here in the United States. Poverty limits food choices, and in extreme cases, availability. This results in improper nutrition, which is often manifested in the United States as overweight and obesity. Poor health is the eventual outcome from malnutrition (this can be over or under weight), which in turn decreases productivity, leading back again to increased poverty (3).
In developed or economically advantaged nations, we may wonder why the government doesn’t step in with appropriate measures. There is definitely an economic cost to the nation due to this cycle. The costs of providing nutritious foods could well be offset by increased productivity and decreased medical expenses. Of course this is over and above the social and psychological costs associated with malnutrition (in its many forms).
As you may have previously read, it my desire to keep this website free from politics. So it might be best to consider what we might do as individuals to help with this paradox. Is this a call for action? Or a request that we change our inaction to benefit our neighbors and our nation?
Surely we cannot adequately feed the poor on our own, but we can try the ideas listed below to support others. Let me know if you think of any additional ways to help.
- When donating to a food bank, consider giving nutritious canned fruits and vegetables rather than just old castoffs. Apparently the nutritional value of foods donated is often not very high (4). If the poor have few good options, we can’t expect good outcomes.
- Organize or volunteer at a food drive (5).
- Many communities have a Meals on Wheels program. There is often a long waiting list for the elderly to receive this important service. Consider volunteering if there is a need in your area (6).
- Volunteer at an aid group or food bank (5). You can have a direct impact on food security in your own town or city.
Don’t forget about the benefits to your own health when you volunteer! See this post for more details: https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/26/self-care-volunteering/
I’ve put this post in the Coursework category as the topic was inspired by the Coursera Class, Understanding Obesity (the very end of Unit 3). There are three blog posts about this class: https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/02/coursework-understanding-obesity/ , https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/19/coursework-understanding-obesity-unit-2-of-3/ , and https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/24/coursework-understanding-obesity-unit-3-of-3/ .
(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7577435/
(2). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/food-insecurity-in-the-us-increasingly-linked-to-obesity
(3). https://www.fao.org/3/al936e/al936e00.pdf
(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7577435/#__ffn_sectitle
(5). https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/help-with-food-insecurity
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