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Drewnowski et al. Respond

Drewnowski et al. Respond LETTERS Food prices are indeed a mechanism that links obesity and poverty.1 As incomes decrease, energy-dense grains, sweets, and fats become the best way to provide daily calories at a manageable cost.2 Added sugars and fats can be inexpensive, flavorful, satisfying, readily accessible, and convenient,3 but these ingredients can also provide minimal nutritional value. One factor behind rising obesity rates may be lower diet cost.4 In the United States, the most obese neighborhoods are those with low residential property values, few amenities, and high poverty rates.5 Richer and better educated people live in wealthier areas, shop at upscale supermarkets, enjoy high quality diets, and are more likely to be thin and healthy.6 Less food-secure people with lower incomes shop at lower-cost supermarkets, search for bargains, and may be driven by economic necessity to select lowerquality diets. Obesity in America is largely a socioeconomic issue.7 A rise in food prices caused by climate change will lead to higher, not lower, obesity rates in the United States. The spikes in food prices observed in 2008 and again in 2010 were highest for the healthier foods, particularly vegetables and fruit.8 The current drought conditions have damaged crops and will lead to http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Public Health American Public Health Association

Drewnowski et al. Respond

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References (8)

Publisher
American Public Health Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the American Public Health Association
Subject
ONLINE LETTERS
ISSN
0090-0036
eISSN
1541-0048
DOI
10.2105/AJPH.2012.301098
pmid
23153157
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

LETTERS Food prices are indeed a mechanism that links obesity and poverty.1 As incomes decrease, energy-dense grains, sweets, and fats become the best way to provide daily calories at a manageable cost.2 Added sugars and fats can be inexpensive, flavorful, satisfying, readily accessible, and convenient,3 but these ingredients can also provide minimal nutritional value. One factor behind rising obesity rates may be lower diet cost.4 In the United States, the most obese neighborhoods are those with low residential property values, few amenities, and high poverty rates.5 Richer and better educated people live in wealthier areas, shop at upscale supermarkets, enjoy high quality diets, and are more likely to be thin and healthy.6 Less food-secure people with lower incomes shop at lower-cost supermarkets, search for bargains, and may be driven by economic necessity to select lowerquality diets. Obesity in America is largely a socioeconomic issue.7 A rise in food prices caused by climate change will lead to higher, not lower, obesity rates in the United States. The spikes in food prices observed in 2008 and again in 2010 were highest for the healthier foods, particularly vegetables and fruit.8 The current drought conditions have damaged crops and will lead to

Journal

American Journal of Public Health – American Public Health Association

Published: Jan 1, 2013

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