PAYNE 1

Jeanette Payne
Deby Dagher
UWRT-1102
November 30, 2014
Research Essay
Since the 1980s obesity has been skyrocketing in this country. As the future of
our country, the growing number of youth and children struggling with obesity has
troubled me for quite sometime. As my questions and curiosity have grown about
childhood obesity, I cant help but also ponder the ever-growing number of children and
families receiving federal assistance in different forms. If by definition food insecurity is
simply the lack of reliable food of sufficient nutrients to achieve a healthy diet, does food
insecurity raise the risk of childhood obesity? Is there a relationship between the two?
Growing up in Mississippi can come with its challenges. Mississippi currently
has the highest percentage of food insecurity and the highest rate of obesity of any state
within the United States. Following the life of Tremonica in the documentary A Place at
the Table it is clear to see the problems of childhood obesity in this country. At just
eight years old, Tremonica suffers from asthma and is severely overweight. Finding it
too expensive to consistently purchase healthy fruits and vegetables, chips and cookies
fill the kitchen counters as the go to snacks in Tremonicas home even though
Tremonicas mother, Kimberly, knows they are not the best option for her daughter.
With such illustrations it is hard to deny the link between food insecurity and childhood
obesity.

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As stated by the USDA, for the first time the United States has a generation of
youth looking at a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Childhood obesity should
be a major concern to all Americans as it affects one in every three children according to
the USDA and James OConnor. As further described in James OConnors article
Child Hunger and Obesity childhood obesity is not the only concern for Americans but
the consequences of childhood obesity are numerous and detrimental to the health and
future of children, and they include diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, poor
academic performance, behavior problems, school absenteeism, and greater risk of
obesity as an adult. As a country, if we cannot solve the health problems facing our
countrys youth, we will be paying the much larger medical costs down the road. On the
other half of the coin, food insecurity affects one out of every four children, about 20
million of whom are on federal food assistance programs including free school breakfast
and/or lunch, food stamps, etc. If America as a whole can reach a clear understanding of
the relationship between food insecurity and childhood obesity, our generation may have
a chance of fixing the problem.
When it comes to forming a cause and effect relationship between food insecurity
and childhood obesity many different people and sources have all reported a link
including the Metallinos-Katsaras, Sherry, Kallio study, Silverbush and Jacobsons
documentary and OConnors article. In the case of the Metallinos-Katsaras, Sherry, and
Kallios study titled Food Insecurity is Associated with Overweight in Children
Younger than 5 Years of Age, they found that those who had lower incomes and were
food insecure had higher rates of childhood obesity and it was starting early than years
past, even as early as preschool. Similarly, OConnors article goes on to explain, Those

PAYNE 3
who are food insecure and suffer periods of even moderate deprivation may also overeat
when food does become available resulting in chronic ups and downs in food intake that
can contribute to weight gains. Within Silverbush and Jacobsons documentary entitled
A Place at the Table Raj Patel describes the relationship between food insecurity and
obesity very well. Patel summarizes the problem as hunger and obesity are in fact like
neighbors, contrary to what many believe, as they are both signs of insufficient funds
allowing an individual or family the ability to stay healthy. Since 1980 as the obesity
epidemic has surged the price of fresh produce has risen about 40% while the price of
processed foods has decreased nearly the same 40% according to Silverbush and
Jacobson. Similarly the approximate $3.00 per day food stamp budget would allow one to
purchase over 3,700 calories of processed foods but only 312 calories of fresh produce.
Through these statistics it is easier to see how thousands of families around the country
could be forced to make unhealthy food options.
Talking in statistics and figures can only go so far. Seeing first hand families and
examples of those affected and dealing with the challenges of food insecurity on a daily
basis had the greatest impact on solidifying the relationship between food insecurity and
childhood obesity. A Place at the Table cleared any doubt or question that I had left.
After realizing what a growing epidemic of childhood obesity our country is facing, what
will be the first steps to change it?
Through the end of my inquiry process, I was able to find a final article in which
Rice University did a study finding that children with the greatest rates of obesity were in
the lowest income neighborhoods. Not only did this study further solidify my findings
but gave me hope for solutions in the future. Most current assistance is individual based

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in the form of food stamps, WIC, free school lunches, etc. Could there be more success if
future assistance was neighborhood or regionally based instead of individual? Could our
nation find more success with better park systems for our kids to play in even throughout
the poorest of neighborhoods, decreasing the countrys food desserts to ensure there are
full service grocery stores accessible to all citizens and providing more healthful school
lunches to our youth? As of February 2013, the USDA has implemented a revised school
lunch standard with healthier options. The new guidelines provide healthier options and
promote whole-grains, fruit and vegetables while limiting fat, salt, and sugar. While I
have hope for positive change in the future, I worry that little seems to be done to make
fresh produce more affordable in the store for the average American consumer and until it
does too many shopping cart will be full of chips and cookies rather than apples and
carrots.

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Works Cited
Metallinos-Katsaras, E, Sherry, B, Kallio, J. Food Insecurity is Associated with
Overweight in Children Younger than 5 Years of Age. Journal of the American Dietetic
Association. 109.10 (2009): 1790-1794. Print.
OConnor, James. Child Hunger And Obesity. Parks & Recreation 46.3 (2011):
55-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Food and Nutrition Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Feb. 1,
2013. Web. Oct. 12, 2014.
Hodges, Amy. Childhood Obesity More Likely to Affect Children in Poorer
Neighborhoods. Rice University. Nov. 9, 2012. Web. Nov. 1, 2014.
A Place at the Table. Lori Silverbush. Kristi Jacobson. 2013. Film.