Question 1
The researchers describe the relationship between weight status and food insecurity as paradoxical. Based on your previous knowledge, does this relationship come as a surprise to you? Why or why not?
posted by Sarah Gervais @ 1:35 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
The relationship between weight status and food insecurity does not come as a surprise to me. Based on what I have read and learned about food insecurity, it makes complete sense to me that these individuals are overweight, obese, and have a higher incidence of gestational diabetes and diabetes. One would think that a person whom is food insecure would be thin and of underweight status, but the main issue here is malnutrition. Malnutrition can be seen in overweight and underweight individuals. The quality of the foods that food insecure people are eating are poor. The foods that they purchase or have access to are typically going to be cheaper in price, higher in fat, and lower in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Some examples of these foods would be prepackaged items, processed foods, dollar-menu items at fast food restaurants etc. So again, this relationship does not come as a surprise to me based on my knowledge and findings from research similar to this.
The relationship between weight status and food insecurity is not a surprise to me. When I think of food insecurity, I don’t automatically think of someone never being able to consume food, and therefore losing weight. I think of someone eating what they can, when they can. In other words, I feel that some faced with food insecurity purchase foods that are calorie dense and provide little nutritional advantage. Consuming these calorie dense foods then results in higher BMI’s, overweight and obesity. On the other hand, I do feel there are many faced with food insecurity that are underweight because they have limited access to food.
The relationship between weight status and food insecurity does not come as a surprise to me. The trends I have noticed and research I have done while working with the WIC program helped prove this relationship to be true. Many participants leave their grocery store receipts in the ID cards. We have noticed that the majority of the receipts show convenience items high in fat, sugar and sodium. Aside from our current economic status, lower income families have been linked to lower education levels. This may suggest that the nutrition knowledge base for their food selection is limited in addition to their money supply to purchase healthier items. Healthier food options tend to be more expensive and most cost-friendly items are high in fat, sugar and sodium. Lack of transportation also plays a big role with this population in relation to weight status and food insecurity. There may not be grocery stores within walking distance and bus routes or alternative forms of transportation may be limited. Often times a gas station or McDonalds are the nearest sources of food. Both of which provide unhealthy selections. Aside from the overweight status related to food insecurity, underweight status may also be related as a limited income may provide minimal amounts of energy intake.
I was not surprised that there was a relationship between food insecurity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy. It’s common for individuals experiencing food insecurity to choose less healthy food options that provide high calorie levels, but little other nutritional value. These food choices can lead to excess weight gain and overweight and obesity. I can see why the researchers described the relationship as paradoxical as well. An initial thought would be that these food insecure individuals do not have access to food and therefore would be losing weight, which I’m sure is the case for some. That’s where these research findings are extremely beneficial for practice.
I agree with Rose that the relationship between food insecurity and weight status may be seen as paradoxical. Also, Melanie made a great point when stating that malnutrition can be seen in both overweight and underweight individuals. I think many times this is overlooked and it’s vital to keep it in mind.
Amy,
I would have to agree with you completely. While I have only job shadowed at a WIC program thus far I would almost bet that the majority of the pregnant women or new mothers coming into WIC are purchasing foods that are lower in cost and more calorie dense because they do tend to be more cost-friendly. It is so true that there are McDonald's fast food restaurants on almost every corner and even sometimes 3 or more in each town. It's crazy to me, but that is also a huge contributor because it is not only convenient, but seems to be cheaper to the buyers at the time of purchasing the items.
Based on my previous knowledge, this relationship does not come as a surprise to me. It is continuously proven that those of lower SES, and often consequently food insecure, show higher rates of obesity. Being dietetic students we have often discussed the vicious cycle of having limited income, and purchasing cheap, processed foods. This is a classic example of this concept.
I completely agree with the fact that McDonald's, gas stations, or corner stores are often the closest, most easily accessible places for low income individuals to buy food. It's a hard concept to fully understand, being someone who is not food insecure, and goes shopping at grocery stores specifically to buy fresher, healthier items. The prevalence and cost of fast food, and placement of grocery stores is an issue that needs to be addressed with greater urgency at the government level, in my opinion.
This relationship does not come as a surprise to me. The initial thought is that cheaper foods are less healthy and that individuals at a low SES may not have the nutrition knowledge to choose healthy alternatives even if they are the same price. I recall discussing this topic during my undergrad with low SES individuals and they mentioned sometimes that they can get a meal at Mcdonalds for $3 when food at the grocery store is much more expensive. There is only a concern for the current moment with some of these individuals so at the moment $3 for one meal seems like a lot less than $20 for 10 meals.
I agree with Melanie that the issue is malnutrition and that can be seen in both overweight and underweight individuals. This may not be a concept that many people can grasp without some nutrition related background.
In the U.S., having restricted access to nutrient-dense foods is much more common than having restricted access to all foods. This means that food insecurity does not necessarily equate with "going hungry" (although that does of course exist, but with programs like food pantries and food stamps, it can be less of a problem than in some other countries), but may mean that the types of foods available are restricted to those of poor nutrient value. Like Melanie said, this can lead to malnutrition, and, after 5 years studying nutrition, it is easy to understand how malnourished individuals can fall victim to overweight and obesity since nutrient-poor foods are typically calorie- and fat-dense.
~Anna
Sarah U, excellent point concerning the "food-for-now" mentality of food insecure people. They can only think of right now. I'm sure all of us blink twice at our grocery receipts every once in a while, but we see that the food purchased will last us a few weeks and provide us with the nutrients we need to stay healthy. For a food insecure individual, finding enough money to cover a grocery store visit is daunting, so a $3 value meal at Wendy's is much more attainable than going through the produce section at Meijer's. Great point Sarah!
~Anna
This relationship was also no surprise to me. Like most said, people who have food insecurity have less ability to purchase healthful foods with fresh produce and meats being more expensive or at least thought to be more expensive then convenience foods. Also, research has shown that food insecure homes tend to be less educated therefore, shopping smart and healthy may not be a known characterstic in these homes. Finally, I am not sure on the research but my thoughts were that food insecure homes most likely have parents or guardians who work a lot and are not home so convenience items are probably more accesible. However, for someone who is unfamiliar with the research, I could understand why one would think it paradoxical for food insecure homes to have higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. One would assume that having little income for food would make a person less likely to eat, therefore skinnier but as this study has shown that is definitely not the case.
It's really unfortunate reading everyone's comments about how healthy options tend to be more expensive then high calorie, high fat convenience items. I think it is important as dietitians that we squash this rumor and prove to people that buying healthy foods can be done on a limited budget and in fact grocery shopping is actually less expensive then driving through McDonalds a few times a week or buying a 4 dollar bag of chips at a gas station. I realize that my first thought was healthy options are more expensive and if that's the mentality that educated professionals have then it's no wonder people stray away from the produce section.
I am not surprised by this relationship. Food insecurity is not necessarily a matter of the individuals starving because they don’t have access to food but it is that they may not be able to have whatever food they want, whenever they want it. This means they may only be able to eat foods of poor nutritional quality, because that is all they can afford or all they have access to. It may also mean that when they can buy food or are given free food, they may consume copious amounts because they are not sure when the next time is that they will be able to eat like that. That is why it makes sense to me that people who are food insecure may be more likely to be overweight or obese. Not only that, but these individuals tend to be of lower SES and tend to have lower levels of education. Those demographics usually go hand-in-hand with increased numbers of overweight and obese individuals.
Amy, I completely agree with you that fast food restaurants and convenience stores are everywhere and generally they are the easiest to get to and the least expensive. That being said, people are going to get food from those types of places just for those reasons. Rose, I agree with what you said about understanding why the researchers called this relationship paradoxical. It does make sense, especially if the individuals are not able to come across food easily.
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