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Poverty, food programs, and childhood obesity
Author(s) -
Hofferth Sandra L.,
Curtin Sally
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of policy analysis and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.898
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1520-6688
pISSN - 0276-8739
DOI - 10.1002/pam.20134
Subject(s) - poverty , childhood obesity , obesity , supplemental nutrition assistance program , environmental health , food insecurity , food security , economic growth , political science , development economics , economics , psychology , medicine , geography , overweight , agriculture , archaeology
Sixteen percent of children 6–11 years of age were classified as overweight in 1999–2002, four times the percentage in 1965. Although poverty has traditionally been associated with underweight as a result of poor diet, researchers have recently pointed to a paradox in the U.S., which is that low income and obesity can coexist in the same population. This paper first examines whether income is linked to overweight in school‐age children. Second, it explores whether food programs such as the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program are associated with overweight among children in different income groups. The data come from the nationally representative 1997 Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. No evidence either that poor children are more likely to be overweight or that food programs contribute to overweight among poor children was found. © 2005 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management