OBESITY DROPS FOR WIC KIDS

Obesity among low-income children (ages 2-4 years) enrolled in WIC dropped from 15.9% in 2010 to 14.5% in 2014.  In addition, 34 of 56 WIC state agencies reported modest decreases in obesity among young children. The findings come from a joint study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA. Obesity prevalence varied by state, ranging from 8.2% in Utah to 20% in Virginia. The study’s authors noted several factors that may have contributed to the drop in obesity:

• In 2009, USDA redesigned WIC food packages to align with updated U.S. dietary guidelines. This change led to improved dietary quality of WIC food packages, better nutrition education, and more health care referrals.
• National, state, and local childhood obesity programs helped raise awareness among parents, early care and education providers, community and business leaders, health care providers, and public health officials.
• CDC provided funding, training, and guidance to states, local health agencies, and daycare providers to help promote successful childhood obesity prevention strategies.

Source: CDC, 11/17/16, Obesity

FOOD BANKS FIGHT DIABETES

Many people who depend on food pantries are not underfed, but are obese and diabetic, experts have found. In 2014, one-third of the 15.5 million households served by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, reported that a household member had diabetes. Inconsistent access to food worsens the disease, and so can the offerings at the pantries many low-income people must rely on. A growing body of research links food insecurity to uncontrolled diabetes. Diet is partly to blame: The inexpensive food favored by people stretching their dollars is often low in fiber and rich in carbohydrates, which contribute to obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Even when food bank patrons are aware they have diabetes — and many do know — they are not in a position to turn down free fare. Now researchers have begun pursuing innovative new methods to address Type 2 diabetes among people who rely on food banks.  A randomized trial in San Francisco and two other sites seeks to help patrons gain control of both their diets and Type 2 diabetes. Researchers asked pantry patrons if they wanted their blood sugar checked and, if it was high, whether they wanted to enroll in a six-month program to lower it. (A control group was told to wait six months to begin.) For those who enrolled, a staff member handpicked appropriate food from the bank’s shelves, saying no to prepackaged junk, yes to asparagus and peanut butter. Participants pick up bags of selected food twice a month. They also receive referrals to a primary care physician, classes about diabetes management, and regular blood sugar checks. The initial results have been promising. In a pilot study of nearly 700 food pantry visitors in Texas, California and Ohio, participants with the worst blood sugar readings managed modest improvements in a relatively short time.

Source: New York Times, 6/21/16, Food Banks & Diabetes

FRAC Focus: Obesity and Poverty

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) is pleased to release this new issue of FRAC Focus: Obesity and Poverty. This periodical e-newsletter focuses on obesity and low-income children and adults, looking at the intersection of obesity, low income, food insecurity, the federal nutrition programs, and federal food and nutrition policy.

This issue first features a summary of the Aspen Institute’s Advancing Health through Food Security: A Multi-Sector Approach to Address the Disease Burden and Costs of U.S. Food Insecurity on our Health System. The report explores our current understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of food insecurity on healthcare costs as well as potential solutions to address food insecurity and its health implications. 

April 2016
Online Version

2 BREAKFASTS MAY BE BETTER THAN 1

A recently published study, found that weight gain among children who ate both breakfast at home and at school was no different than that seen among all other students. Meanwhile, the risk of obesity doubled for students who skipped breakfast or participated inconsistently. Researchers suggested several reasons for this outcome, including the fact that school breakfast is generally healthy, and students who skip breakfast are likely to overeat later in the day. And, of course, just the fact that growing adolescents often need a lot of food to grow means that they can eat more without necessarily gaining weight.

Source: NPR, 3/17/16, 2 Breakfasts

…BUT OBESITY RISES

Despite years of efforts to reduce obesity in America, federal health officials report that the share of Americans who are obese had edged up slightly in recent years. About 38% of American adults were obese in 2013 and 2014, up from 35% in 2011 and 2012 and 32% in 2004. Obesity among young people was unchanged. Some of the most striking numbers were among minorities. About 57% of black women were obese from 2011 to 2014, the highest rate of any demographic. Next highest were Hispanic women, at 46%, and Hispanic men at 39%. About 36% of white women were obese, and 34% of white men.

Source: New York Times, 11/12/15, Obesity Rises

HOPING TO SAVE MONEY, STATES TACKLE OBESITY

Cities and states have a vested interest in tackling obesity, which affects nearly 80 million American adults. Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and can cause a host of chronic health issues, from diabetes to high blood pressure to cancer. Across the country, obesity-related health problems cost $147 billion to $210 billion each year. Obesity is also associated with diminished productivity on the job and to work absenteeism costing the country $4.3 billion per year. Governors in Arkansas, New York, Georgia, and Tennessee have all announced plans to combat high rates of obesity. Most look to increase physical activity and access to healthy food for schoolchildren. Georgia, for example, initiated a partnership with the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves that includes an app to assess fitness and uses social media to get its message across.

Source: Stateline, 11/2/15, State Anti-Obesity Efforts

Understanding the Connections: Food Insecurity and Obesity

This brief (pdf) from FRAC highlights recent research on food insecurity and obesity, and then explores why food insecurity and obesity can co-exist.

While food insecurity and obesity can co-exist in the same individual, family, or community, the research on whether there is a statistically significant relationship provides mixed results. A number of research studies in the U.S. and abroad have found positive associations between food insecurity and overweight or obesity. Other studies have found no relationship, or even a lower risk of overweight or obesity with food insecurity. Associations, or lack thereof, often differ by gender, age, and/or race-ethnicity. Making comparisons across studies is further complicated by differences in study design, measures of weight and food security status, and sample size and characteristics. Overall, based on several reviews of the literature, the strongest and most consistent evidence is for a higher risk of obesity among food insecure women.

That food insecurity and obesity can co-exist and are significantly associated in some studies does not necessarily mean they are causally linked to each other. Both food insecurity and obesity can be independent consequences of low income and the resulting lack of access to enough nutritious food or stresses of poverty. More specifically, obesity among food insecure people – as well as among low-income people – occurs in part because they are subject to the same often challenging cultural changes as other Americans (e.g., more sedentary lifestyles, increased portion sizes), and also because they face unique challenges in adopting and maintaining healthful behaviors, including the following:

• Limited resources
• Lack of access to healthy, affordable foods
• Cycles of food deprivation and overeating
• High levels of stress, anxiety, and depression
• Fewer opportunities for physical activity
• Greater exposure to marketing of obesity-promoting products
• Limited access to health care   

GOV’T FOOD PROGRAMS COULD DO MORE TO DETER OBESITY

SNAP and WIC have greatly improved low-income families’ access to food, but they could do more to promote healthier nutritional choices and combat obesity and their beneficiaries. SNAP recipients need more education and incentives when it comes to making healthy food choices and more information about nutritional content and lower prices for healthier foods like fruits and vegetables, which could be done through technology and social media. Innovations in EBT technology could be harnessed to help participants make healthier choices and track their food purchases. Another approach might be to distribute SNAP benefits several times a month rather than just once.

Source: Huffington Post, 10/8/15, SNAP & Obesity

Urban-Rural Differences in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This is a systematic literature review and subsequent meta-analysis performed to investigate differences in childhood obesity between urban and rural areas in the United States. All but one study suggested that residence in rural areas was associated with higher prevalence or increased odds of childhood obesity, compared to children living in urban areas. A meta-analysis of 74,168 pooled participants ages 2–19 found that rural children have 26% greater odds of obesity, compared to urban children. Read the full study here.