Case Study: Fixing The American Diet

Fixing the American Diet

Americans’ nutrition has been declining for years, but is this simply because of unhealthy choices? While that may be the case for some Americans, for those of a lower socio-economic level, unhealthy habits are less of a choice. People living in poorer neighborhoods are more vulnerable to obesity. That being said, just because someone is of low income, does not mean that they will be more overweight than the average American, or that low income and obesity or causally linked, but studies have shown a correlation between the two. This could be explained by lack of access to healthy food, not being able to afford fresh, non-fast food, overeating when food is readily available, and the stress of poverty.
Many impoverished

This would help because even if someone’s only option for food is fast food, at least it would be healthier and contribute less to obesity. Another option would be to lower the cost of food at grocery stores so people with low incomes could more easily afford to shop there, but that is a less feasible option. Grocery stores could provide discounts on produce for people of low income though.
There are also cycles of food deprivation and overeating that can contribute to weight gain. If people skip meals to save money, when food becomes readily available to them, they may overeat, which is a problem, especially if this food is fast food. During the food deprivation period of these cycles, the lack of eating can cause eating disorders and changes in one’s metabolism so that their bodies store more fat, which can then lead to weight gain and

More food banks and places where people of low income can get food for free would make people less likely to have periods of under eating in trying to save money. Without the food deprivation, there is less of a chance that someone might overeat when given the opportunity. By preventing these eating ups and downs, people of low income would overeat less, and have a lower chance of developing an eating disorder.
Being stressed or anxious because of money problems or being overworked, as many low income families are, can make these situations worse and lead to more food insecurity. Research has found a link in obesity and stress and poor mental health, and for people with a shortage of money, there are many reasons to be stressed, such as payments, having enough money for food, poor housing, lack of healthcare, lack of transportation, and possibly working more than one job. This stress can lead to metabolic changes as well, causing weight