We learn from recent news that "food insecurity" is a growing problem in America—defined as not always having enough money for food. This means more children are not receiving adequate nutrition, and this might affect their performance in school. Another factor that may be associated with food insecurity is that fact that the height of Americans has ceased to increase and in fact has decreased. Americans used to be the tallest nation but now the Dutch are on average taller—by two inches (5 cm).
The U.S. is ranked third in the world in incidence of obesity (meaning we are the third fattest country, and numbers 1 and 2 are very small island nations). Perhaps paradoxically, obesity in many Americans results from a poor diet which in turn is a result of lack of financial means. Lower-income families have more frequent recourse to fast food, which provides cheap nutrition and lots of calories, but carries with it lots of fat and sodium.
Also, lower income people can't afford healthier foods like fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains. Also, I increasingly read that people in poorer areas often do not have access to stores that provide wide food choices. Stores with wide nutritional offerings are simply absent from many areas such as minority neighborhoods.
So, while we are among the fattest on the planet, we are far from the best-nourished. A national shame.
Copyright © 2010 by Richard Stein
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I'm not so sure anymore what kind of standard of living that the average American enjoys. Following a long period of recession people may be experiencing better economic times but only when compared to recession years. Cost of living factored in with working conditions and inflation may account for poor nutrician and diets for many. People who have to keep a constant eye on budgets I'm sure don't opt for the best choices available when shopping. I saw a program just yesterday on the rise of nationalism in Russia under Putin and how the standard of living for the average Russian has risen since the fall of the iron curtain and especially since the leadership of Putin. I'm not sure of the standard of living for ordinary Chinese or other nationalities but wonder what the standard of living for ordinary persons is like in foreign countries and how ordinary Americans rank in comparison.
ReplyDeleteThe reason Americans, on average, are getting shorter may be the result of immigration rather than nutrition: many short Latin Americans and Asians coming to the U.S. vs. modest numbers of short Muslims migrating to the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, without those runty immigrants the American population would be even fatter.