Are Low-Income People Fat Because They Are Poor?
Question
I watched a hidden camera TV show on ABC News called “What Would You Do?”. The television program suggests that to curb the obesity epidemic in America you must first eradicate poverty. Are poverty-stricken people overweight because they lack sufficient money?
The story’s message or life lesson was that an unhealthy diet costs less money than healthy eating and that’s why people living below the poverty line are fat or, I guess, fatter than people living in middle-class.
Are low-income people fat because they are poor?
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2020-12-14T05:59:17+00:00
2020-12-14T05:59:17+00:00 1 Answer
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Answer ( 1 )
America is the richest country in the world yet it is the fattest. The obesity rate in United States is 42.4%. Qatar is the richest country in the world per capita yet 70.1% of Qatari nationals are overweight and 41.4% are obese.
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world and their obesity rate is 7.2%. Yemen is one of the top 10 poorest countries in the world but the obesity rate among men is 6.0%.
Nauru is an island country in the southwestern pacific ocean. It was one of the wealthiest nations per capita in 1980, globally, with an obesity rate of 71.7%. Now Nauru is a poor country but it still has an obesity rate of 61.0%.
Some of the richest and poorest countries in the world are the most obese. Japan is among the top 25 richest countries based on average income but their obesity rate is 4.3%.
To say low-income people are fat because they are poor is an absurd statement and a flat out lie.
Japan passed the “Metabo Law” in 2008, named after metabolic syndrome. It is a strict law that requires men and women of certain ages to have their waistline examined and maintained.
Japan and Uganda are a few of the most physically active countries in the world and they have some of the lowest obesity rates worldwide. It’s a no brainer that physical activity reduces body weight.
Fatness is a personal choice. It has nothing to do with being rich or poor. You can eat unhealthy and be slim. It is of no surprise that people who lack self-control or discipline are more likely to be fat. Lazy people are more likely to be fat. Maybe we can say much of poverty is a result of being lazy or because one lacks discipline, and subsequently, is the cause of weight gain.
Studies have suggested sugar is as addicting as cocaine. If a nation does not regulate sugar it will have a nation of people who are addicted to sugar. Sugar increases hunger while decreasing levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone. Fruits, nuts, beans are all cheap and contain high levels of fiber. Fiber suppresses appetite and makes you eat less.
One serving of a 20 oz. bottle of Coca-Cola cost $1.99 and has 240 calories. One premium bag of frozen green beans provides 5 servings (100 calories per serving) and cost $2.39. One Big Mac at McDonald’s cost 3.99 (1 serving) and has 563 calories. One jumbo can of premium Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna fish is $4.12 at Walmart and it contains 4.5 servings @ 60 calories per serving. You can buy a 3 lb bag of large apples for $2.74 (6 servings).
Healthy food is cheaper and it has less calories. The MYTH that poor people are fatter because they are poor is a political LIE. Yes, the price of food is high in the USA but healthy food cost less money so don’t try and use that as an excuse to be fat.
You need regulation or discipline to be a healthy weight. In some instances being poor can cause weight gain. If you cannot afford quality healthcare, and you have disease that promotes obesity, then you are more likely to be fat and die from it. But since obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death, you probably have health problems because of your nutritional decisions.
People love to make comparisons to validate their point, like how a 5 oz. container of organic farmed spinach is $4 (which is expensive). But you know what, a 10 oz bag of premium frozen spinach is $1.87. Get the fuk outta here with that BS!