Poor Mississippi--literally & figuratively

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I saw two separate news stories during the last few days--both I think on CNN--about median household income levels & obesity. Mississippi was #1 for the highest percentage of obese residents, & last on the list for median household income.

I'm guessing there's a connection betw. poverty & obesity? I wonder if there are any studies out there about it? Also wondering if education factors into it as well?

Just some food for thought............

Oh & if you live in Mississippi please don't be offended, I'm not judging anyone who lives there. I just found both stories interesting, & shame on CNN for not connecting them!
 
well, in my country(third world) is the other way around, people who are rich are the ones who are overweight and obese because they can afford to have the extra helpings of food. Poor people are more likely to be at a normal weight.
violet
 
Apparently there is a connection here. I've done stories on this topic (used to be a reporter). In this country, the processed, sugar-filled, preservative ladened and unhealthiest food is unfortunately the most affordable. It costs more to buy organic, healthy, fresh and natural food. So people buy what they can afford. I think it's horrible. I think the food industry is headed in the right direction with cutting out most transfats from foods, but I wish more would be done.
 
Yes, in America there is a definite correlation between low income and obesity. In our supermarkets, the high quality, fresh food (think outer perimeter of the store) is far more expensive than the highly processed items (inner isles). You can actually buy a lot more junk food than you can healthy stuff for the same amount of money. It's really sad.

It's a huge problem in Arkansas too, where I live. In fact, we usually rank right above Mississippi in these things. We have a slightly higher income, and slightly less obesity.

ETA - apparently Stephanie and I were on the same wavelength!
 
I live in Mississippi and see first hand the obesity problem. At 5'2" and 115 lbs I stick out like a sore thumb! I'm not sure the main correlation is income, although I do not disagree that it is a factor. What I find odd with the income/food thing is a lot of our traditonal meals start with clean foods. Some staples are chicken, greens, okra, crawfish, catfish, shrimp, peas, beans, etc. We just tend to screw up the perfectly healthy foods by frying the chicken, crawfish, catfish, shrimp & okra and putting bacon drippings in the veggies, etc. These staple dishes are enjoyed by both the poor and the wealthy. I honestly see a lot of people using food stamps at the grocery store and their carts are full of fresh vegetables and lean meats. However there is usually a huge vat of Crisco or a # of "fat-back" too. I rarely see these customers with chips or prepackaged snacks. I honestly think it isn't the basic foods or income...it's the cooking methods.

Another thing to consider is transportation. I live in the metro-Jackson area and I have to drive EVERYWHERE. Our cities are not built for walking. We tend to seperate commerical and residental areas so you can't walk to the grocery store or work. I would venture to say 99% of Mississippians could not walk to work, grocery, dry cleaners, etc. Also due to the humidity and heat exercising outdoors is pretty painful 8 months of the year. That's why I love Cathe so much!!

Anyway, no offense taken to the thread...just thought I'd add some insight to some of the possible reasons why MS has such a large obesity issue. I hope one day we can move to 49th of one of these lists!
 
Well darn Tracey, with that kind of menu I think I'd be obese too! It all sounds so yummy! I think it sucks that fried food is so fattening, it tastes so darned good.......:9

However, I don't know what "fat-back" is & I probably don't want to--I'm guessing that's another term for lard? EW!
 
thanks for the insight tracey. you may be right part of the problem is the cooking methods. i know in the south we love the fried food but when i lived up north we loved our nj/ny pizza, fresh bagels and cream cheese and lets not forget pork roll,egg, and cheese on those bagels LOL :9

from what i see though, in My neck of the woods is lot of ppl using the food stamps to load up on soda b/c its generally cheaper then the juices, and over doing the little debbie cakes b/c they are WAY cheaper then the 100 calorie packs. they also overdo CANNED veggies which are loaded with salt,when frozen is a step up(IMO you get more for the money). i know b/c i have been on food stamps that its hard to stretch when you do eat more healthy.

so i think there are many reasons but in SOME cases the income/obesity may have a connection but i think that is why there are no studies is b/c its hard to tell. is it b/c of income or is it b/c of how they cook.

kassia

http://www.picturetrail.com/ldy_solana

"And do what thee wilt as long as ye harm none"

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Tracey, you're definitely right about the way foods are prepared - everything is deep-fried in Arkansas, too. And yep - the whole transportation thing is exactly the same here. There's absolutely no way I could manage without owning a vehicle.
 
Laura- for someone who did not grow up in the South....you really don't want to know what fatback is......it's just like it sounds!
 
I believe its a combination of what Shannon and Tracy said. The healthier foods are more expensive and if you are on assistance (or just not very well off) with a large family, what do you reach for, the apples for 2.99 a pound or the prepackaged Top Ramen or Macaroni and Cheese with some Little Debbies tossed in, all under 10.00 for the whole shabang?

When you are in that situation, nutrition goes by the way of price and convenience for alot of people. And then the culture plays a huge role. The south, like Tracy stated is known for all of its fatty foods (and quite delicious foods frankly!) These things are what you are taught to cook growing up I would imagine, its a very important part of the south.

I do not know what the answer is, education? Paula Deen coming out with a "light" southern cookbook? Although I might buy that baby for sure! Or how about lowering some prices on our produce? But of course that would piss our poor farmers off, etc....boy, I am starting to rant. Its just obesity is really such a huge problem in our country, it is very sad, very scary. I do wish there was a magic pill people could take that would help them control their intake or something.
Personally, I feel very lucky that I understand what healthy foods are and how important exercise is, there are still those out there that do not.

Kay, I am done.Phew. :7
 
I agree that all the processed junk is alot cheaper. My SIL buys that stuff because she has 5 kids. She came to visit me in PA last year and I spent a fortune feeding hers kids as well as my DH and DS. Unfortunately, I bought alot of junk that week. I also notice how my grocery bill has gone up just by cleaning my diet up.
LD
 
>Another thing to consider is transportation. I live in the
>metro-Jackson area and I have to drive EVERYWHERE. Our cities
>are not built for walking. We tend to seperate commerical and
>residental areas so you can't walk to the grocery store or
>work. I would venture to say 99% of Mississippians could not
>walk to work, grocery, dry cleaners, etc. Also due to the
>humidity and heat exercising outdoors is pretty painful 8
>months of the year. That's why I love Cathe so much!!

Sounds a lot like Houston (where I used to live) which has been named the fattest city in America a couple times (not sure where it is on the list now).

I grew up in Texas and I remember my favorite veggies as a kid were fried squash, fried okra, fried 'taters, etc. Yikes. I never fry that stuff for my kids! I wouldn't even know how to deep-fry like my parents did.

[font face="palatino linotype" font color=purple font size=+1]***Lainie***

http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html

"The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself." -- Mark Twain[/font]
 
I just finished putting my end of August totals into my budgeting software. At the beginning of July, I cleaned up my diet, focusing on more unprocessed foods, lean meats, lots more fish, you know, what we are suppose to eat. I have not bought prepared foods, only occasionally buy some "junk" for the other members of my family, they are starting to grab the fruit for a treat instead of that(and actually squibble over it).

Anyway, out of curiousity, I did a report tracking the last 6 months of grocery and eating out costs. My husband still goes out for lunch all the time, I used to go out maybe once a week, now pack it everyday. Starting in July, our grocery costs went up 300.00 per month. Now I have been stopping at the farmer market every week in August, which reduced the cost a little in August, but our growing season is very short so that will only be a benefit for a bit longer.

At least around here, eating a better for you diet is considerably more expensive than eating the processed prepared foods. So in the fight against obesity, poverty is a great issue.
 
>I just finished putting my end of August totals into my
>budgeting software. At the beginning of July, I cleaned up my
>diet, focusing on more unprocessed foods, lean meats, lots
>more fish, you know, what we are suppose to eat. I have not
>bought prepared foods, only occasionally buy some "junk" for
>the other members of my family, they are starting to grab the
>fruit for a treat instead of that(and actually squibble over
>it).
>
>Anyway, out of curiousity, I did a report tracking the last 6
>months of grocery and eating out costs. My husband still goes
>out for lunch all the time, I used to go out maybe once a
>week, now pack it everyday. Starting in July, our grocery
>costs went up 300.00 per month. Now I have been stopping at
>the farmer market every week in August, which reduced the cost
>a little in August, but our growing season is very short so
>that will only be a benefit for a bit longer.
>
>At least around here, eating a better for you diet is
>considerably more expensive than eating the processed prepared
>foods. So in the fight against obesity, poverty is a great
>issue.




Yes, I agree. We have always eaten healthier than the average around here, but a few months ago I started decreasing the available starches and increasing f/v. Kids use to snack on whole grain muffins, banana bread, etc and now I have more fruit and fresh veg. Our bill has gone from around 400 to 600 a month - 5 people ALL meals and snacks (I never get to eat out
x( )


I live in GA and I'm not sure I agree with the fried food thing. I don't know maybe - that's what my mom thinks. GA came in 14 for adults and 12 for kids. It's just that I don't know too many people that actually cook fried okra or chicken anymore - it takes too much time. Everyone eats out. Now there are a few restaurants in our area that have lunch buffets with traditional southern food, but the poor are not in there. My inlaws were always slim and always ate traditional southern food (homecooked by my mil -yum!) in proper portion. In addtion around here it seems the older people are of normal weight , but the younger ones are big.

Its interesting that this study was just for obese ratings - it did not include overweight statistics. I guess were at the point where we just want to get from obese to overweight?? Can't imagine the figures if they included that!

Here is the website that did the study http://healthyamericans.org/

You can find some interesting info on your state there. Marnie :)
 
It did seem like the Farmer's Market was a bit expensive(it is run by an organic farmer), but the food tastes so much better from there than the grocery store. I have also been picking up freebie zuchini and tomatoes from people at work who want to get rid of them. Next year I might stick some tomato plants in pots or something.
 
Yeah, you're probably right that people don't fry quite as much nowadays. Even my folks don't, but that's because my mom has finally lost the extra weight she's carried around her whole life and now she eats pretty healthy (she's 65).

[font face="palatino linotype" font color=purple font size=+1]***Lainie***

http://web.mac.com/lainiefig/iWeb/Site/Exercise/Exercise.html

"The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself." -- Mark Twain[/font]
 
Annette Bethel

There was a show this week that explained it like this: when the income level is lower, the more fattening foods to be eaten. Why because fattening foods will make one feel full longer. It doesn't help that processed food is alot cheaper than fresh and organic food. I try to get healthier food but I can't always get organic, which I would prefer.
 
Tracey I live in MS too...Oxford...and we are the same size. My husband and I were commenting a few weeks ago that everyone is fat..not being mean or anything..just that everyone seems to be carrying at least an extra 30 or so pounds. I live in a college town so I do see a lot of younger healhier students around...but the real "mississipians" need help!!
 
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