“Poverty and Obesity in America,” by Regina Olivares is an eye-opening piece describing the effects of poverty on the people of America’s health, specifically, obesity. Upon reading this piece, my opinion of the first-hand effect of obesity was altered. My belief, which was that people eating excessive amounts of unhealthy or sugary foods caused obesity, is, according to Regina, a “… common misconception.” Regina discusses factors that contribute to obesity by including information about the rising prices of healthy food products and the absence of helpful government associations. Regina also writes of the government subsidies that relate to the farms across the nation, that are unfortunately lacking. Regina goes into great detail to prove that Americans with a low-income turn to unhealthier food options than Americans with a higher income. She also points out that American families living in poverty do not make the official decision to buy and eat unhealthy products. They do this because they may not be able to afford fresh fruit and vegetables. Regina also mentions that healthy products, sometimes don’t reach areas known as low-income places. Instead, processed products are found in these areas. Regina even discusses the public school food system, saying that students who eat the school food as their everyday meals, are not receiving the proper nutrients that are found in healthy foods. Regina’s arguments proved to me that another leading cause of obesity in America is poverty, and her piece provides the necessary information to believe this to be true.
      In my opinion, since low-income families may not be able to afford highly nutritious foods, such as fresh products, it makes sense that poverty is a major cause of obesity in America. In fact, as Regina stated in her piece, “ [Gallup data]… revealed that 23 percent of Americans who make more than $90,000 a year are obese, compared with 32 percent of people with an annual income of $36,000 or less.” This data reveals that more low-income families are obese than high-income households in America. Another point that stood out to me was the study conducted on public schools. I found this imperative because some students do, in fact, eat school food as their meals of the day. Public school food is not the healthiest choice, especially to eat it for every meal. It does not provide the nutrients that could replace fresh fruits and vegetables. According to Regina, “The USDA tests McDonald’s and Burger King’s ground beef five to ten times more frequently than beef in schools.” Therefore, kids of low-income households may not be receiving the proper nutrients they need, leading to childhood obesity. Regina discusses many other important points in her piece that provide information to one of the leading causes of American obesity. I have to agree with her stand, even though I used to have a different opinion, because it is clear from her writing that poverty can play a major role in the road to obesity.