Episode Details

Episode 128: Food insecurity and obesity.  

Nausheen defines food insecurity, presents some statistics about obesity, and how food insecurity is linked to obesity. She ends her presentation with possible solutions to this problem.

Written by Nausheen Hussain, OMS3, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. Editing by Hector Arreaza, MD.

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Arreaza: Hello, my name is Hector Arreaza. I am a family physician, currently practicing and teaching in the Central Valley of California. Today we will talk about an important and growing problem: Food insecurity and its relationship to obesity. I would like to introduce my guest today, Nasheen Hussain.

Arreaza: Can you tell me what defines food insecurity? 

Nausheen: As defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), food insecurity is the limited availability of nutritionally adequate food or the limited access to this food. So, I want you to imagine you are living in a community where the closest grocery store is not within walking distance, you have no reliable access to transportation, and you are surrounded by liquor stores, McDonald’s, and Burger King. Now you can see the two parts of that definition: the grocery store with healthy food exists, but it is too far, and you can't get to it. Whereas within walking distance is nonnutritious food. I want to challenge our audience to pay attention to these two concepts in the communities around them.

Arreaza: I have noticed a concentration of fast-food places lining certain streets. Now that we understand the concept, do we know if there is a way to quantify or measure food insecurity?  

Nausheen: Yes, Dr. Arreaza. So, the term “food swamp” actually describes what you just stated. To answer your question, yes. Food insecurity is actually measured by the USDA by a 6-18 item questionnaire - asking questions such as: Were you worried if food would run out before you got money to buy more? It is conducted as an annual supplement to the Current Population Survey. 

Arreaza: The Current Population Survey (CPS) is the primary source of labor force statistics for the population of the United States. It is sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau (bee-uro) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CPS is conducted monthly. 

Nausheen: The 2021 questionnaire identified 12.5% of households in the U. S. as being food insecure. However, this may underestimate the true number of individuals who may be suffering from food insecurity. 

Arreaza: Screening for food insecurity is not been routinely done in many clinics. Food Insecurity: Preventive Services. An Update for This Topic is In Progress. LAST UPDATED: Jul 24, 2022. So now, let’s talk about the connection of this to obesity. What factors in general increase the likelihood of obesity?

Nausheen: Sure! Obesity is classified based on a person’s body mass index or BMI, which is your weight in kilograms (or pounds) divided by the square of height in meters (or feet). A BMI of 30 or greater is considered to be in the obesity category. Obesity is affected by several factors, such as a person’s genetics, level of activity, and a high-calorie diet consisting of low-nutrition food.

Arreaza: How does food insecurity play into this? 

Nausheen: Think back to the example we discussed earlier. If a person is experiencing food insecurity due to a lack of access, they will use what is around them (fast food, 24-hour mart without fresh foods) so they can put food on the table