THE NEW FACE OF POVERTY

Subnitted by: Hoang Nguyen

Does the unequal distribution of income in a society pose an additional hazard to the health of the individuals living in that society?  It is widely acknowledged that individual income is a powerful determinant of individual health. Health is related to both quantitative and qualitative aspects of material and social changes. Poverty is a risk factor for premature mortality and increased morbidity. How does it affect poor people? Why does it affect them?

 When people are poor, they often have a lot of things to worry about because they are lacking money, resources, prestige, education, or family support.  When people are under stress, they tend to make poor food choices.  Unfortunately, these food choices can create more stress in the long run as well as other health problems like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.  They also have bad habits such as drinking too much coffee or alcohol, excessive smoking, and eating food high in sugar and fat.

 

Poor people being skinny were already unusual twenty years ago.

 

   This is what new poverty look like today.

The tallest bar of the left represents the lowest income group and the highest race of obesity.

 

Logically, that doesn’t make sense and it contrary to our historical experience. How can they be the most likely to overweight with the least money on spending?  There are many reasons. Some focus on the foods. In a New York Times article, author Michael Pollan asks this very question…
“Compared with a bunch of carrots, a package of Twinkies is a highly complicated, high-tech piece of manufacture, involving no fewer than 39 ingredients, many themselves elaborately manufactured, as well as the packaging and a hefty marketing budget. So how can the supermarket possibly sell a pair of these synthetic cream-filled pseudo-cakes for less than a bunch of roots?

Pollan goes on to answer his own question…

“The Twinkie is basically a clever arrangement of carbohydrates and fats teased out of corn, soybeans and wheat — three of the five commodity crops that the farm bill supports, to the tune of some $25 billion a year.”

The most unhealthy foods and fattening  are the most cheapest food. Some reasons focus on the people.  Poor people are often uneducated, or too lazy to exercise, or just too busy working two jobs to have time to exercise. In addition, many poor neighborhoods don't have safe places in which to exercise. Poor neighborhoods have many fast food advertisements and restaurants.  If you are poor and hungry, you will buy the cheapest calories.  If you eat that type of food until you no longer feel hungry, you're eating too many calories.  In many cases, that's why poor people are fat.  Hunger is deeply wired into the human brain.  It doesn't just depend on getting enough calories.  Among other things, it depends on getting all the important nutrients.  It is especially sad because it is impossible to have a good healthy diet cheaply.  You have to take the time, have access to a kitchen, and to fresh fruit and vegetables.  However, most poor people don't have the time, or are not able to afford these fresh foods. 

We are what we eat so food is really an important matter.  "We" are the main factor that plays an important role in our own health.  No matter if we are rich or poor, we have to start educating ourselves and the next generation about living a healthy lifestyle.  It's not easy, and it will take a lot of efforts from the big corporations, the community and the government to create a new healthy and safety environment. We must start now!