Those who have insufficient access to foods likely to suffer from obesity

According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, more than a third of American adults are obese. At the same time, obesity is the second leading cause of premature death in North America and Europe.

A recent study by public policy professors Alexander Testa and Dylan Jackson of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) badesses the link between difficulties related to diet and obesity. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health in Adults (Add Health) and the modified Modified Food Environment Index from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (mRFEI), a national sample that measures food deserts, their study is the first of its kind. evaluate the relationship between food insecurity and life in a food desert on obesity.

Food insecurity, by definition, is the inability to obtain adequate food because of a lack of resources. In 2016, about 15.6 million households (12.3%) were food insecure. Food deserts are geographical areas where residents do not have access to supermarkets or grocery stores.

With the help of a nationwide sample of adults spread across the United States, UTSA researchers learned that food-insecure people were at increased risk of obesity. The results of the study also showed that people living in the food desert presented a high risk of obesity. Together, these findings suggest that Americans who do not have enough to eat or live in areas without access to shops selling nutritious, affordable foods run a greater risk of obesity.

Regarding the results of the study, Professor Testa said, "Our study stresses the importance of adequate nutrition for health – millions of Americans do not have enough to eat and live in communities where there are no healthy and affordable foods.To fight against obesity, it is important to ensure that people always have access to nutritious foods. "

Taking into account gender and race, researchers have found that women are more likely than men to be obese due to food insecurity. This may be due to the fact that women are more likely to protect their children from food insecurity by reducing their own nutritional intake. Overall, black and Hispanic households are at higher risk of food insecurity in the United States.

"Lack of access to food can be a major stressor for individuals, and our study shows that experiencing dietary difficulties is particularly detrimental to women's health," said Professor Jackson.

In the future, the authors plan to continue to explore how the challenges of obtaining nutritious foods are related to health issues and to look for the types of programs that can effectively improve nutrition and health in the United States. .

Provided by
University of Texas at San Antonio