Obesity, Poverty, and Hunger in America

Obesity and Poverty Paradox

• Obesity prevalence is highest among non-Hispanic Black Americans, followed by Hispanics in the US.
• The overall obesity rate is 30.5%.
• Women have higher obesity rates than men.
• Including healthcare expenses, the US poverty rate increased to 14.1% in 2018, and the child supplemental poverty measure rose from 5.2% to 12.9% (2021-2023).
• In late October 2020, one-fifth of American children lived in poverty.
• Two-thirds of Black children and slightly fewer Latino children live in households struggling to meet usual expenses (census survey).
• The official poverty rate in 2023 was 11.1%.

Relationship Between Income, Education, and Poverty

• Obesity is linked to income and education levels.
• Higher income and education levels correlate with lower poverty rates.

Hunger in the US

• Over 45 million people, including 15 million children, faced hunger due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
• The number of Americans experiencing hunger rose from 7.8 million in 1999 to 9.6 million in 2003 (a 24% increase).
• In 2011, 14.9% of American households were food insecure; 5.7% reduced food intake due to lack of food.
• Currently, 47.4 million Americans, including 7.2 million children, are food insecure.

Levels of Food Insecurity

• Mild food insecurity: Households run out of food, are uncertain about obtaining sufficient food , and compromise the quality of the family diet.
• Severe food insecurity: Households have hungry children, as judged by their parents.

Challenges in Assessing Food Insecurity

• Linking food insecurity to health outcomes and quality of life is complex.
• Determining the related cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes is challenging.

Values Related to Poverty

• Values shape thoughts and actions.
• Economic class is a spectrum, not distinct categories.
• Values ("hidden rules") vary by economic class.

Example: Food and Economic Class

• Poverty: Emphasis on quantity (enough food).
• Middle Class: Emphasis on quality (enjoyable meals).
• Wealth: Emphasis on presentation (well-prepared meals).

Obesity in Wisconsin Native Americans

• Over 80% of Wisconsin Native American adults are overweight or obese.
• Obesity rates exceed those of the general Wisconsin population (69% vs 22%).
• Over 60% of native american adults are obese
• This is the highest rate for any minority group.
• Childhood overweight is increasing faster in Native Americans than in other groups.

Healthy Eating Index

• A summary measure of overall diet quality.
• It reflects the type and amount of food consumed and how well it aligns with recommended guidelines.
• Components:
  • Recommended servings.
  • Total fat consumption (percentage of total food energy).
  • Cholesterol intake.
  • Sodium intake.
• Scoring:
  • Maximum score is 100.
  • Over 80: considered a "good" diet.
  • 51-80: "needs improvement" diet.