Cash-Poor, Food-Rich?

Published on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, by Christy Harrison / Edit Post

Until now, research has indicated that obesity is an especially big problem in low-income populations because they don’t have access to healthy food. But a new study of UK families suggests that just ain’t true, the Australian reports.

The 3,500-person study—one of the largest ever to look at the eating habits of the UK’s poorest families, according to the paper—”found the nutritional value of the food eaten by the poorest 15 per cent in society was little different from the average.” In addition, the research showed,

the rate of obesity, which has often been linked to poverty, was at a similar level among the poor as it is in the general population. The poorest families were consuming similar amounts of saturated fat, but were eating slightly more sugar and slightly less fruit and vegetables.

But if the “average” across the pond is anything like the average American diet (and anecdotal evidence suggests that it is), is it really any good to be eating “slightly more” than boatloads of sugar, and “slightly less” than very few fruits and vegetables? It sounds to me like the poorest families still have it worse.

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  • >> But if the “average” across the pond is anything like the average American diet (and anecdotal evidence suggests that it is)

    'cept for the cheese. The quality of the cheese is to die for in England. Oh, and the bacon. Oh, and the lamb. Oh, and the potatoes. Oh, and the cream ... (grin).

  • I don't live in the UK or the US (which the original post means by the term "American") but anecdotal evidence will certainly turn up far more severely obese people in poorer neighbourhoods here (Montréal) than more affluent ones. In a city such as this, there are other variables such as ethnicity and access to public markets where fresh food is more accessible.

    There was an excellent Guardian...+READ

    I don't live in the UK or the US (which the original post means by the term "American") but anecdotal evidence will certainly turn up far more severely obese people in poorer neighbourhoods here (Montréal) than more affluent ones. In a city such as this, there are other variables such as ethnicity and access to public markets where fresh food is more accessible.

    There was an excellent Guardian article a few years ago about the dearth of fresh vegetables and huge portions being all that is available in one of the poorest US States - believe it was Mississippi.-COLLAPSE