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Hunger and food insecurity have been called America’s hidden crises. At the same time and apparently paradoxically, obesity has been declared a serious epidemic. Both obesity and hunger, and more broadly food insecurity are serious public health problems, sometimes coexisting in the same families and the same individuals. Their existence sounds contradictory, but those with insufficient resources to purchase adequate food can still be overweight, for reasons that researchers now are beginning to understand. The apparent paradox of expending waste lines and persistent hunger and food insecurity in America is driven in part by the economics of buying food. Households without money to buy enough food first change their purchasing and eating habits, relying on cheaper, high calorie foods over more expensive, nutrient-rich foods before they cut back the amount of food. In order to cope with the limited money for food and to stave off hunger, families try to maximize caloric intake for each dollar spent which can lead to overconsumption of calories and a less healthful diet. Research among low-income families shows that mothers first sacrifice their own nutrition by restricting their food intake during periods of food insufficiency in order to protect their children from hunger. The resulting chronic ups and downs in food intake can contribute over the long run to obesity among low-income women. Doctor Larry Brown, the executive director of the center on hunger and poverty, reported a growing body of research shows that hunger and obesity pose a dual threat for some people. We need to better understand this relationship if our nation is to grapple with these parallel threats to the well-being of Americans. We particularly need to avoid damaging policy prescriptions that assume hunger and obesity cannot coexist. Renowned food experts and scientists call for a reform agenda to address both hunger and obesity. According to James Wells, president of the food research and action center, an agenda that seriously tackles hunger and obesity among the poor, must address their common roots. Those roots include food insecurity and the impact of poverty. One answer is increased access to income supports and nutrition programs so that more families have sufficient resources to obtain healthier diets.
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