Poverty Level & Diet

Diets tend to be worse in areas with higher poverty levels.

Nutrition experts from Yale University note that diets in communities with higher poverty levels provide most of their energy from fats, sugars and processed meat products and low intake of vegetables, fruit and whole grains. In general, the higher the rate of poverty in a community, the worse the diet is on average.

Health Disparities

Health disparities often correspond with inequalities in education and income, according to a 2003 study from University of Washington researchers that was published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Conditions like obesity and diabetes are more prevalent in groups with higher poverty levels and lower education levels. According to the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, current economic conditions make poor communities the most susceptible to unhealthy diets, obesity and numerous diseases. Most Americans do not consume enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and communities with lower poverty levels consume even lower amounts of these healthy foods.

Research

Researchers at Yale University concluded that healthy foods are less available in communities with high poverty levels. In addition, produce is generally of lower quality in high poverty areas compared to wealthy neighborhoods. These researchers also concluded that lower income individuals face greater challenges when attempting to buy healthy foods because of the lack of healthy foods available in many of these communities. According to a 2010 study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology," "substantial differences in obesity exist between neighborhoods with different levels of access to food and fitness amenities."

Conflicting Evidence

According to the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which profiled more than 565,000 middle-aged and older Americans, people in lower income neighborhoods had an increased risk of death; however, when researchers in the study controlled participants' lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, exercise and medical risks, the high death rates remained unchanged. In the study, the people in the most deprived neighborhoods had a 22-percent greater risk of dying, regardless of dietary factors.

Fast Food

Fast-food restaurants are more prevalent in low income communities. A 2009 study from researchers at the University of California and Columbia University found that having a fast-food restaurant within one-tenth of a mile of a school leads to a minimum 5.2 percent increase in obesity rates. A 2003 study published in the journal "Pediatrics" revealed that each day, almost one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 years eat fast food, which increases the risk of obesity.

Prevention/Solution

One theory from researchers at the University of Washington is that we should shift dietary choices in low income communities toward an energy-dense diet that provides maximum calories with the least amount of volume and lowest cost. Improving supermarket access in high poverty communities and ensuring that low income, urban communities have access to fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains is instrumental to preventing obesity and helping these communities get healthier.

References

• USDA: Poverty and Obesity: Diet Quality, Energy Density, and Energy Costs
• Yale University: Healthy Foods Scarce in Poor Neighborhoods, Yale Researchers Find
• Reuters: Obesity hits New York's poor neighborhoods hardest
• CBS News: Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity
• Reuters: Life may be shorter in poorer neighborhoods

Resources

• The Effect of Fast Food Restaurants on Obesity
• The Healthy Eating Guide: Healthy Eating Statistics