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The Real Cost of a Healthy Diet

April 3rd, 2010 by admin | Filed under Diet


Overweight

Over-consumption of food energy beyond that needed for activity and growth leads to overweight and obesity, which are linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer and stroke, among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.13-19 The proportion of the U.S. adult population either overweight or obese increased from 47% to 65% between 1976-80 and 1999-02, while the proportion of children overweight increased from 6% to 16% over this period.20-22

Food Insecurity is associated with overweight and obesity in parts of the U.S. population, with food-insecure adults and children in some age/ gender sub-groups at greater risk of overweight.23-28 The possible pathways between food insecurity and overweight are complex. To prevent family members from feeling hungry, food insecure households purchase a limited variety of cheap, energy dense foods high in fat and added sweeteners and poor in nutritional quality. At the same time, food insecure households reduce their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish, and vegetable protein.29-30

Poverty plays a role in obesity not only through food insecurity but also through lower education levels, lack of health insurance, inadequate healthcare, and lack of safe places to exercise. While overweight and obesity have increased among people at all income levels over the past two decades, those with lower incomes still have the highest rates of these conditions.31

Undernutrition

Under-consumption of nutrients deprives the body of sufficient energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These deficiencies impair the body’s ability to fight off infections, and in young children are linked with deficits in cognitive development, behavioral and emotional problems, problems relating with peers, and physical health problems leading to hospitalizations.1-10

Food-insecure households do not have access to adequate nutritious food for a healthy diet, either because they lack sufficient financial resources, or because reliable sources of affordable healthy food are not available. In 2003, the latest year for which data are available, 36.2 million people were food insecure in the U.S.11

Poverty is a root cause of food insecurity in the U.S. In 2003, 35.9 million Americans had incomes below the poverty threshold, which was $18,810 annually for a family of four.12 The rate of food insecurity was highest (35%) for households in poverty. Among households with incomes between 100-185% of poverty, 23% were food insecure, while for those with income levels above 185% of the poverty line, only 5% were food insecure.11 Other research has found that incomes at or above
200% of the poverty line are necessary for U.S. families to achieve economic self-sufficiency to meet basic needs.11

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