Swot Task 1

This perfectly relates to the obesity issue my group is addressing for our MAP-IT project. In Wyandotte County 23.9% of individuals live below the poverty line (Kansas Health Matters, 2017). When families live on low income they are sadly forced to make unhealthy choices because they are cheaper and readily accessible. As seen in the Unnatural Causes documentary (2008) just because someone wants to live a healthier lifestyle it sometimes isn’t easy to do. If individuals don’t have access to transportation or extra cash to spend on healthy food they can’t change their way of

It has become impossible for low-income families to provide healthy meals for their families. Government, Farm policies and the food industry itself are main reasons as to why the cost of healthy foods has become harder for American families, especially low-income families, to provide the healthy foods needed to fight the obesity epidemic. With low- income families being the main focus point on the problem of

A proponderance of statistics derived from scholarly sources corroborates the notion that minorities who have a low socioeconomic position or have an significantly low income suffers many atrocious health disparities this includes obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases thus projecting a direct correlation between the two variables. In addition, minorities, specifically African-Americans that live in low income neighborhoods have less access to fresh, healthy and organic foods. In particular, supermarkets are sparse in their area and sometimes is not within walking distance or within the vicinity of their homes. On the flipside, these neighborhoods have the highest levels of fast-food restaurants and convenient stores. These barriers

Poverty has a direct influence on the type of food that is consumed due to the rising cost of healthier foods, as well as the fact that less healthy, higher calorie foods are typically more affordable (The State of Obesity, 2014). To get a clearer look at the income level of African American families, statistics show that nearly 40% of African American children under 18 live under the poverty line, as well as more than 12% of African American families living with an income that is less than 50% of the federal poverty line (The State of Obesity, 2014). The other predominant issue that aids in obesity in the African American population is the lack of available resources in the form of food options and education. Even with their income status excluded from the equation, African American neighborhoods contain the least amount of supermarkets compared to other neighborhoods (The State of Obesity, 2014). The lack of supermarkets near them makes it difficult to find access to fresher, healthier foods to eat in order to foster a healthier

Three times a day, millions of Americans peruse the varied array of food items on the dollar menu at the local fast food chain restaurant simply because it is their only affordable source of nourishment. Financial health and physical health are directly correlated in that healthy food contributes to superior physical well-being. However, this must mean that those who cannot afford a nutritious diet are those with poor physical health. The United States Census Bureau quantified nearly twenty-three percent of Houstonians living below the poverty line in 2015. In Radiolab’s “America’s Myths of Poverty,” James Baldwin observed that underprivileged families are unlikely to consume healthy meals because healthy food costs

Throughout our entire lives, we have been convinced to eat “healthy” so that we can live a longer and happier life with low risks of diseases and cancers. However, what does it really mean to eat “healthy” since there are many health claims that are confusing us about what we should or shouldn’t eat. With the cloud of confusion revolving a “healthy” diet, Michael Pollan, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, writes “Unhappy Meals” detailing what it means to eat healthy. Although eating healthy is essential, there are factors that play a role into a person’s diet. For instance, in what ways does income affect an adult’s decision to eating “healthy?” Many people assume that a person’s ability to eat healthy is based on their

It is also clear that there is evidence that shows a great need in improving people of low-socioeconomic status health because the government has been making efforts. However, what have not been addressed are the barriers that people in low-income communities still face even with government resources. Furthermore, it is also clear that the government saw the importance of making sure that low income families had access to health care when they created Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. While access to health care is also a very important piece to a healthy lifestyle, it also becomes counterproductive when people still continue to have a poor diet and end up having to seek medical help at some point. Giving people the chance to have a better nutrition would also help decrease the number of doctor visits for those who do seek medical attention, and for those who don’t seek medical attention it would at least keep them

Imagine two scenarios, where one child is devouring a plate of greasy fries, a large chocolate shake, and a juicy burger on a daily basis. Now imagine a child eating a colorful plate full of vegetables, mashed potatoes and a small piece of grilled chicken on the side. The first child lives in an underprivileged community, where there are corner stores on every block along with a variety of fast food options. Now imagine the second child living in a suburban community, near a local produce market, that sells a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The reason behind this is based on one's socioeconomic status that can either benefit or negatively impact one's health. Socioeconomic status "refers to standing in the stratification system and

Many have realized that when shopping the unhealthy food is either on sell or there is very few of it, this all leads back to how healthy food is expensive for everyone to buy. The principal claim that Murray makes in this article is that, “High-fat, high-sugar food are widely available taste good and cost less than healthier foods,” (Fast- food Culture). The food consumers are receiving food that is more addictive and unhealthy for a lower price. This is leading them to get encouraged to make unhealthy choices especially for low- socio-economic families. As not everyone is wealthy, not all people can afford to pay the extra for the so called healthy food. Maiello agrees when he writes, “Not everyone can afford grass-fed Wagyu beef raised without hormones and slaughtered at a Beverly Hills day spa, (An Equal Shot). Many people struggle with money, this makes it harder for consumers to become healthier eaters as it has been proven that it is more expensive. Not everyone was born in a golden crib; it is difficult for every socio-economic family to afford. Harvard studies have shown that a healthy diet is expensive per person. This text, by Kuzemchak is focused upon, “A 2013 study from Harvard School of Public Health found that eating a healthy cost about $1.50 more per day per person than eating an unhealthy diet,” (Healthy food is expensive). The obese environment struggles in finding healthy ways to eat; a healthy diet being at an expensive rate is bad towards not being able to pay for the right nutrients and vitamins you need. Low socio-economic families are troubled in buying healthy food regarding the higher cost, while the marketing industry could change this situation. The food industry has demonstrated that low- fat, low-sugar food is at a higher cost while many low socio-economic struggle with this problem.

In the zip code 13204, the poverty rate is 39.6%, according to the census from 2015 (Community Facts, factfinder.census.gov). This is almost three times higher than the official federal poverty rate of 2016 (Income and Poverty in the U.S, census.gov). This health indicator increases the risk for poor health within this community, specifically in regard to nutrition and its effects on the development of chronic disease. Aside from uncontrollable genetic factors, developing healthy eating habits early on in life, may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases throughout the lifespan. A lack of a healthy diet, along with inadequate physical activity, are linked to a majority of the leading causes of death in the United States such as: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer (A Place for Healthier Living, 5). For a long time, aspects such as diet have been regarded as an individual responsibility while at the same time undermining the role that the individual’s environmental factors play in shaping their nutritional choices. The poverty threshold is based on household income and its ability to adequately supply the basic needs, therefore, there is a rather large population of individuals in the area of the zip code that are unable to satisfy those basic needs. Their health

People who are poorer are, in general, less able to have access to fresh, healthy vegetables and low-fat meats, causing them to rely upon cheaper, sugary carbohydrates as their main source of nutrition. They have less access to places where it is safe to exercise, and less leisure time in which to engage in healthy, active pursuits. A recent national study in the US confirmed that "body mass index (or BMI, an indicator of excess body fat) was higher every year between 1986 and 2002 among adults in the lowest income group and the lowest education group than among those in the highest income and education groups, respectively" and "wages were inversely related to BMI

Can you imagine the vicious cycle created for the American poor? One of the endemic plagues of poverty, poor nutrition, has been further compounded by the fact that the less money you have, the less able you’ll be to buy any truly nutritious foods. Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the center for public health nutrition at the University of Washington, reveals the very real daily challenge those on a tight budget face: “If you have $3 to feed yourself, your choices gravitate toward foods which give you the most calories per dollar,’’ not only are the empty calories cheaper, but the healthy foods are becoming more and more expensive. Vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury goods.” (Dr. Drewnowski).

Consumers with lower-incomes are more likely to live unhealthily, as low-income has become directly correlated with living an unhealthy lifestyle. When shopping for groceries, consumers with relatively low monthly incomes are substantially more likely to eat unhealthily, and are more likely to be obese. This issue of poverty and unhealthy living stems from the idea of social and physical environments. Why is it that people of low socioeconomic status are more likely to smoke, drink excessively and have high fat diets? The issue surrounding the fact that lower-income consumers have higher mortality rates can be explained through behavioural studies.

Socioeconomic status heavily influences people’s diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also states that healthier diets are more expensive than unhealthy diets (Darmon & Drewnowski, 2008). Because of this, it is likely that people of lower social classes simply cannot afford to have a healthy diet, especially if they are providing for an entire family. People in lower social classes also most likely cannot afford to go work out often, so it is especially important for them to eat healthy foods. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people with lower socioeconomic statuses consume less fresh produce and

Maintaining a healthy life is expensive in today’s society. In the documentary “Food Inc” one family talks about how expensive it is to eat healthy in today’s society. “Why is it that you can buy a double cheeseburger at a McDonald for 99 cents, but can’t even get a head of broccoli in the store”. (Robert Kenner c. 2008) This statement shows how the prices of healthy food greatly differs from the unhealthy food options. Therefore, if a person only receives