The influence of income for families is a predominant determinant of child obesity and the effects of obesity in their lives. Technological advancement, including video games and eating habits, displays a disparity in family income, which influences the nutritional needs of children. Kids from a single-parent home or those with a low income suffer most from nutritional needs and are likely to suffer from obesity. Pursuing a degree in Food and Nutrition, I believe that this study will be influential in addressing the nutritional needs of children with obesity and the link between low-income and the obese condition.
How do low-income families facilitate the expansive number of child obesity cases?
Various fast-food stores offer cheap food, which attracts many low-income families concerned with feeding their children. The nutritional value of fast foods is never a concern, provided that the children are full. The 2019 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System records that about 3.7 million low-income families with children between two to four years were overweight. The high number of overweight children results from the poor nutritional needs of their low-income guardians. Finkelstein states that most of the low-income families have one parent working more than one job and, as a result, have limited time to prepare decent healthy food. Homes with a woman as the breadwinner are more susceptible to food insecurity, amounting to obesity issues within the family.
Programs such as the Women, Infants and Children Program and Supplementary Nutritional Program are structured to help low-income families cope with child obesity. The provision of food stamps and nutritional education to low-income families ensures a better future for the families. Goodman states that ‘the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act’ used about $4.5 billion to ensure healthy food provision.
Low-income families have enormous challenges, including obesity, to combat. Nutritional deficiency is the main cause of child obesity, and to control this, agencies have come together to provide financial and dietary aid. Ensuring that both parents and children have access to healthy food eliminates instances of child obesity in low-income families.