Implications of Poverty in the United States

EMILY CUNIS, BAILEY SHAW, JACLYN JANERO, & BEN BUESCHER

What is Poverty?• Household income below $23,492/year

• Concentrated in rural and urban areas

• Largest age group that is in poverty is less than 18 years old

• Minorities make up 50% of impoverished

• Poverty goes hand-in-hand with food insecurity, obesity, malnutrition• Problems are cyclical

Gabe, 2013; Cook and Frank 2008

What is Food Security?• When people/individuals experience no hunger and have satisfactory quality

and quantity of food

• Most prevalent in elderly and Hispanic groups

• 4 levels of food security• Food secure, food insecure without hunger, food insecure with moderate hunger,

food insecure with severe hunger• Children are typically non-affected by food insecurity until the fourth level, as

parents tend to prioritize their children

• Food insecurity does not indicate poverty• Low food budgets, lack of nutritious foods in diet, consumption of low quality foods

all qualify – not just economic level

Martin and Farris, 2007; Drewnowski and Specter, 2004; Bhattacharya, Currie ,and Haider, 2004

Important Statistics• Approximately 46 million Americans struggle with poverty• This is ~14% of the population

• 14.5% of households in 2010 experienced food insecurity

• Households in poverty are 4 times more likely to be food insecure

• Food insecurity is a predictor of obesity within the ages of 18 to 64 years old

• Many of the impacted turn to government assistance programs to supplement

Gillespie, 2014; Bhattacharya et al, 2004

This chart shows how the poor are

disproportionately affected by obesity,

diabetes, and sedentariness.

American Diabetes Association

Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP)• Serves 14% of the population as of 2011• Historically, was a booklet of stamps used to buy surplus

goods• Today, it is a debit card known as EBT (Electronic Benefit

Transfer)• Politically controversial• Many want to regulate what can be bought using SNAP• Strict requirements for application

SNAPtohealth.org

National School Lunch Program• Federally assisted meal program in over 100,000 public

and non-profit private schools• Children from families with incomes at or below 130%

of poverty level eligible for free meals• In 2012, served 31 million children each day, nationally• Food from this program tends to be innutritious,

unappetizing

USDA

Obesity: What is it?• Product of human evolution to defend stored body fat in periods of starvation

• Industrialization provided access to vast quantities of high-calorie foods, transportation• Brought down physical activity, healthy eating• Should be mentioned that it also decreased starvation and food inaccessibility

• Obesity is anything above 30.0 BMI (kg/m^2)

• Obesity rates worldwide are remarkable enough to be considered an epidemic• They have risen in both sexes, across all ages and races, as well as educational

levels• Highest rates are amongst the most disadvantaged groups

Bellisari, 2007; Drewnowski, 2010

Obesity: Statistics• In 1980, 47% of adults were overweight or obese• Rose to 65% by 2005 (Stinson, 2012)

• More than 1/3 of US children are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight (Stemp-Morlock, 2007)

• In 2004, 59 million Americans were considered obese, with 300,000 dying each year from related causes• Second-leading cause of death in the United States, after

smoking (Mead, 2004)

Stinson, 2012; Stemp-Morlock, 2007; Mead, 2004

Obesity: Possible Causes• Sedentary jobs – lack of exercise, movement• Lack of leisure time – no time for additional exercise,

to prepare and cook healthier foods, etc• Lower cost of foods high in fat and calories – easier

access to foods that are less healthy and more obesogenic

Stinson, 2012

Chart showing the rise in

obesity from 1961 to 2009.

CDC

Socioeconomic Status (SES)• Measured by looking at income, education, occupation, and household

possessions

• Low-SES Americans live in bad neighborhoods with poor access to health care, though many have jobs and incomes

• States with the lowest overall SES have the highest proportion of obese citizens

• As SES goes up, it is associated with lower levels of overweightness and obesity – particularly in women• Women with less than a high school education and income below poverty have

twice the rate of obesity as women with highest education and income levels

Bellisari, 2013; Stinson, 2012;

Socioeconomic Status (SES)• Healthy diets are not a choice – health foods are expensive and costs

are rapidly rising

• Most low-SES individuals live in ‘food deserts’ – neighborhoods with little or no access to supermarkets• Poor neighborhoods have 1/3 as many markets as wealthy neighborhoods,

despite higher population density• Instead, they access convenience stores, corner stores, bars, taverns, and

fast food restaurants

• Americans spend the lowest proportion of disposable income on food – 12%• Americans also have the lowest cost food supply in the world

Stinson, 2012

Alternative SolutionsEXPLORING COMMUNITY LEVEL SOLUTIONS

Soup Kitchens• A location where free food is served to the public in the form of

soup• Impacts mostly the homeless populations

• Can serve a lot of people in a small amount of time for no cost to anyone• Non-profit, funded by donors and grants

• Food lacks in nutritional value• Soup kitchens lack dignity

Educational Programs• Seminars or classes that are set-up to teach community

members about food, food prep, budgeting, etc• Run at a very low cost and have a long-lasting effect• Caters to all audiences• Cost time and money to run, as well as attend• People who attend programs must be willing to change their

habits or lifestyle

Free or Reduced Lunches• Serves students who are financially struggling a free or reduced

lunch during school• Ensures the consumption of one lunch, every school day• Basic nutrients for the day provided

• Only provides one meal of the day for only five days of the week• Lacking in nutrients, vitamins• Can contribute to obesity – mass produced meals served are

high in sodium, fats

Food Stamp Program• Government sponsored program – gives a weekly allowance to spend on

designated food items• Application to qualify

• Free to apply for, free to use• Provides nutritional food at no cost to the qualified• Limited funds per week• Fresh food is expensive and depletes funds quickly

• Application is time-consuming, rigorous• Requires in-person interviews, transport to the center is a challenge, as

well as finding time for those who work multiple jobs

Group Recommendations

FoCo Café• Non-profit restaurant in Old Town,

Fort Collins, Colorado• FoCo stands for, ‘Feeding Our

Community Ourselves’• Open since Thanksgiving Day, 2014• Has since served 6,187 lunches as

of the end of March• Able to use almost exclusively

organic foods due to beneficial partnerships with local farms, as well as the food co-op

• Went there ourselves, as a group, for a field study

FoCo Cafe

FoCo Café provides fresh, organic, nutritious meals at the cost of whatever the patron can afford, including donations of time and talent. They also provide a variety off foods with an ever-changing menu.

FoCo Café supplies patrons with a restaurant environment and

features people from all levels of SES. The co-owner, Kathleen

Baumgardner, told us that for some families that come in, it is

the only time that they can afford to go out to a restaurant. FoCo Café attempts to provide

that atmosphere, and even features donations of live music

for meals.

Their next project consists of community gardens, which you can see the beginning stages of in their restaurant (more on these soon). This is a photo of a hydroponic community garden of fresh herbs. They can be picked for the public or used in food preparation at the café.

FoCo Café: Negative Aspects• 100% Volunteer Run• Though cheap, completely reliant on generosity of others• Possibility individuals will not show up for a shift – hard to make up lost

resources

• Not Common• Hard to Start• Kathleen said it took her two and a half years to raise money – only money

• Extensive demographic research• Build community and excitement• To get and keep donors, repeat customers

Community Gardens/Urban Farming:

These are plots of land in proximity to urban settings in which neighborhoods collectively grow produce and emphasize healthy lifestyle

choices.

• Pros:• Access to fresh food • Educational value• Free fruits and veggies• Know exactly what food has gone through • Socially beneficial

• Cons:• Commitment of time and money • Initial costs • Permit/legal complications • Food is not prepared, takes time to cook it

References• Bellisari, A, (2007). Evolutionary Origins of Obesity. The International Association for the Study of Obesity, 9, 165-180.

• Bellisari, Anna. (2013). The Obesity Epidemic in North America: Connection biology and culture. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

• Bhattacharya, J., Currie, J., & Haider, S. (2004). Poverty, Food Insecurity, And Nutritional Outcomes In Children And Adults. Journal of Health Economics, 839-862.

• Cook, J., & Frank, D. (2008). Food Security, Poverty, and Human Development in the United States. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 193-209.

• Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and ObesityNational Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2014). Obesity Prevalence Across States and Territories. Overweight and Obesity. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html

• Drewnowski, A. (2004). Obesity and the Food Environment Dietary Energy Density and Diet Costs. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27(3S), 154-162.

• Drewnowski, A. (2010). Obesity, diets, and social inequalities. Nutrition Reviews, 67, 36-39.

• Drewnowski, A., & Specter, S. (2004). Poverty and obesity: The role of energy density and energy costs. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 6-16.

• Gabe, T. (2013). Poverty in the United States: 2012. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, 1-79.

• Gillespie, P. (2014). Over 48 Million American’s Live in Poverty. Cable News Network.http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/16/news/economy/48-million-americans-poverty-census-bureau/

• Hansan, J.P. (2011). Origins of the State and Federal Public Welfare Programs (1932 – 1935). The Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved from http:// www.socialwelfarehistory.com/programs/origins-of-the-state-federal-public-welfare-programs/

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• Martin, K., & Ferris, A. (2007). Food Insecurity And Gender Are Risk Factors For Obesity.Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 31-36.

• Martin, P & Weaver, D. (2005). Social Security Bulletin. Social Security: A Program and Policy History, 66 (1). http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v66n1/v66n1p1.html

• Mead, M. N. (2004). Origins of Obesity. Environmental Health Perspectives, 6, 344.

• Miech, R. A., Kumanyika, S. K., Stettler, N., Link, B. G., Phelan, J.C., Chang, V.W. (2006). Trends in the Association of Poverty With Overweight Among US Adolescents, 1971-2004. American Medical Association, 295, 2385-2392.

• Peterson, J. (2012). Chicago’s Peterson Garden Project- Built for Victory. Seasonal Wisdom.

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• U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 14. Experimental PovertyMeasures Methodology. https://www.census.gov/hhes/povmeas/methodology/ombdir14.html

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