Monday, September 20, 2010

The Link Between Poverty, Obesity and Diabetes

"Not having enough food to eat may cause obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Most of us think the chronic disease epidemic is fueled by abundance, but it may be fueled as much by food scarcity and insecurity as it is by excess. And, right now, America is suffering from the highest levels of poverty and food insecurity that it has seen in more than a decade."

By Mark Hyman, MDPracticing physician
Posted: September 18, 2010 08:00 AM

Dr. Hyman goes on to explain, "Many poor people in this country are consuming an excess of nutritionally-depleted, cheap calories from sodas, processed foods, and junk food. These folks scarcely eat whole, fresh foods at all, and for good reason: We have made calories cheap, but real food expensive." He talks about "How the Biology of Starvation Contributes to Disease," and he ends the article with a list of initiatives and ideas that he believes we need to seriously consider if we are to reverse the alarming trends in the U.S. (and, in my opinion, any other place in the world where obesity is now an epidemic). I highly recommend this article. Here is a link for you to use.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/not-having-enough-food-ca_b_721344.html

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