Obesity & Socioeconomic Power Point

Obesity Facts

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health (2016) .BMI (body mass index) provides a convenient population-level measure of obesity.

Obesity is an issue throughout all ages but is becoming more serious in the childhood population. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that approximately 17% (or 12.7 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese (2012). The following information is an excerpt from a fact checklist from the CDC:

Obesity prevalence on the basis of family income among children from low-income households was:

• 14.2% among children in families with an income-to-poverty ratio of less than or equal to 50%.
• 14.5% among children in families with an income-to-poverty ratio of 51–100%.
• 13.4% among children in families with an income-to-poverty ratio of 101–130%.
• 12.4% among children in families with an income-to-poverty ratio of 131–150%.
• 11.8% among children in families with an income-to-poverty ratio of 151-185%.

 Income-to-poverty ratios reflect family income in relation to poverty threshold. The poverty level varies by family size, the number of related children, and the age of the head of household, but not by state. For example, a family of four with two children and an annual income of $22,811 were at the poverty level in 2011. For income-to-poverty ratios less than 100%, the family income is lower than the poverty threshold. When the ratio equals 100%, the income and poverty level are the same, and when the ratio is greater than 100%, the income is higher than the poverty level. A ratio of 130% indicates that family income was 30% above the poverty level.

This is an ongoing issue in the United States. Poverty and Obesity are so closely related you would think they were sisters. It is important to educate the children on the risks and challenges that they face from dealing with obesity. The more they know, the more they will understand.

References

Centers for Disease Control (2012).   Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html 

World Health Organization (2016). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/obesity/facts/en/

Reasons Why Poverty Leads to Obesity

         Obesity is a disease that many struggle with on a day to day basis and have struggled with their entire life. Obesity added to their already stressful lifestyle, it’s no wonder why people are living the way that do. Contrary to popular belief, obesity is hardly ever caused by greed. In fact, some people over eat out of fear about not knowing where their next meal is coming from. Then there are some that eat to forget about other things. Food addiction can be just a serious as drug addiction. According to Hedwig Lee, from the University of Washington, the United States is facing an “obesity epidemic.” The obesity growth is at a steady rate. Hedwig says “Obesity is especially rampant among Americans with the lowest levels of education and the highest poverty rates” (Hedwig, 2012).

                It is easy to say eat right and engage in is regular physical activity if you have the means in which to do so. For children, it is even more difficult because they are heavily influenced by their families and the community. Impoverished living conditions are a great deal for the young because they allow many barriers to engaging in healthy behavior (Hedwig, 2012). Families with lower incomes have to limit the choices due to a limited budget. In some cases, the availability of assistance runs out before the month is over leading to unhealthy behaviors. According to Hedwig, these are some of the reasons why the risk of obesity is grater for lower income families:

•  Families choose high-fat foods dense with energy – foods such as sugars, cereals, potatoes and processed meat products – because these foods are more affordable and last longer than fresh vegetables and fruits and lean meats and fish. 
• Poor families often live in disadvantaged neighborhoods where healthy foods are hard to find. Instead of large supermarkets, poor neighborhoods have a disproportionate number of fast food chains and small food stores providing cheap, high-fat foods.
• Economic insecurity – such as trouble paying bills or rent – leads to stress, and people often cope by eating high-fat, sugary foods. 

·         Families cannot usually afford to pay for organized children’s activities outside of school – and schools in impoverished areas are less likely to run sports or physical activity programs than schools with more resources.

·         Due to inflexible work schedules, lack of transportation, or unmet needs for child care, poor parents, especially single mothers, may find it hard to support extra activities for their children. Leaving kids in front of the TV is often all stressed poor parents can manage.

·         In many poor neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds, trails, and free public gyms are often not available or safe. Neighborhoods may be crime-ridden, and there may be no nearby indoor places for play or exercise. Ironically, parental efforts to keep kids safe and indoors may increase encourage sedentary behaviors such as watching TV and playing video games.

The sad part of it all is that so many children are affected by this and it is beyond their control. It is time for the community to stand up and take charge. The “obesity epidemic” should be looked at as a community issue rather than an individual issue. In New York, there is program in place that uses mobile food carts to offer fresh produce in certain poor neighborhoods. In addition, schools play a major role. By incorporating mandatory physical activity and strict nutrition guidelines, they are taking charge on the issue at hand. In order for this issue to be put behind us, we must join together as a community.

Reference

Lee, Hedwig (2012). Why poverty leads to obesity and lifelong problems. Retrieved from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/brief/why-poverty-leads-obesity-and-life-long-problems

Poverty and Obesity

Poverty and obesity are both mention whenever the subject of one comes about. This is because they are closely. Some studies have proven that obesity is the result of poverty.  This same idea has trickled down to children in schools. According to Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), competitive foods are widely available in U.S. public schools (2010). Competitive foods are defined as those foods and beverages available or sold outside of the federally-reimbursed school meals programs (FRAC, 2010). This means that the food served in U.S. public school have an impact on the health status of the students that attend these schools. Competitive foods are known to be energy-dense and nutrient poor. The only result from energy- dense and nutrient poor foods is fat. An increase of fat will lead to obesity.

         The distribution of competitive foods has a larger impact on low-income families. “If students from families with limited budgets eat less healthy competitive foods instead of a free or reduced-price school meal that meets nutrition standards, they lose out nutritionally in a much bigger way than their more affluent peers who make the same kind of choices” (FRAC, 2010, pp. 4). The pressure from peers may contribute to the obesity factor as well. Students are well aware of those who eat school lunches and those that do not. The Food Research and Action Center have found Children from low-income families must choose between spending money they can afford and singling themselves out by forgoing competitive foods (2010).

The FRAC is doing a great job of researching low income families and the issues that they face with food. Obesity and poverty are being looked at more and more closely as research has proven they have a strong correlation. It is also interesting that other research contradicts what the FRAC is saying. This is going to be an ongoing issue until a solution has been created.

References

Food Research and Action Center(2010). Competitive Foods. Retrieved from http://frac.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cnr05_competitivefoods.pdf

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Obesity

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Obesity

            Obesity is health issue that is commonly discussed throughout the United State. There are numerous studies that have been conducted to explain it. There are so many factors that influence obesity, that make it difficult to find the root to the problem. Of those factors, socioeconomic status(SES) is high on the obesity totem pole.

            The American Psychological Association defines socioeconomic status as “commonly conceptualized [ideas that] the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation” (American Psychological Association, 2016). Obesity is defined as “weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used as a screening tool for overweight or obesity” (Houle, 2013). Obesity levels have been on the rise for all socioeconomic groups, but it seems to affect some groups more than others. Researchers found that obesity rose with a nation’s economic development, but also that socioeconomic status as it related to obesity changed. In lower-income countries, people with higher SES were more likely to be obese. Conversely, in high-income countries, those with higher SES were less likely to be obese ( Houle, 2013).

The following chart shows that among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels, with a tendency to be slightly higher at higher income levels. The Chart also shows that the prevalence of obesity increases as income decreases for women. The link between socio economic status and obesity tends to be more prevalent with women. Education level also plays a role in obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there is no significant trend between educational level and obesity prevalence. However, obesity prevalence increases as education decreases (CDC, 2008).

 

The National Survey of Children’s Health foundation found Children living in low-income neighborhoods are 20 percent to 60 percent more likely to be obese or overweight than children living in high socioeconomic status neighborhoods and healthier built environments (Socioeconomic and Obesity, n.d). Girls living in neighbor-hoods having lower socioeconomic characteristics are more likely to be obese than girls in neighborhoods with higher sociologic characteristics. The following graph shows different rates based on education level for girls:

 

            As the years pass obesity still remains on the high end of health issues. It’s difficult to concentrate on one factor when there are other factors that come into play. What is one to do when they don’t have the resources to eat a balanced and nutritional meal? How do you explain that because you can afford less national meals that it is not the best for you? Obesity amongst Americans will always be an issue. It is up to us to move it down on the totem pole.

 

References

American Pscychological Association (2016). Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/topics/socioeconomic-status/ 

Centers for Disease Control (2008). Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db51.htm

Houle, Brian (2013). Population Reference Bureau. How Obesity Relates to Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2013/obesity-socioeconomic-status.aspx

Socioeconomics and Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://stateofobesity.org/socioeconomics-obesity/