Overweight Women & Food Insufficient
Households
Overweight Studies
A certain number of weight studies have shown that, in the United States,
women in food insufficient households are more likely to be overweight
than women in food sufficient households (eg Olson; Townsend et al). However,
these studies utilized self-reported heights and weights to define overweight.
To further examine this paradoxical association between food insufficiency
and overweight, look at the data from the 1988-94 National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). In that weight survey, heights
and weights were measured. To gain additional insight women's overall
diet quality as gauged by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and its components
was examined.
Overweight Women BMI
The BMI of women age 19 to 55 was studied. A significantly higher percentage
of those in food insufficient households were overweight (defined as having
a BMI of 25 or greater) compared with those in food sufficient households
(58 versus 47 percent). There were no significant differences between
women in food sufficient and insufficient households in terms of mean
BMI and percent being obese (defined as having a BMI of 30 or more).
Overweight Women Paradox
Analysis of the NHANES III data reveals that women reporting to be in
food insufficient households have a greater prevalence of being overweight
and lower diet quality than women in food sufficient households. While
the association between food insufficiency and lower diet quality may
be expected, that between food insufficiency and prevalence of being overweight
seems to be a contradiction. How can a person report that in their household
sometimes or often they do not have enough food to eat, yet be overweight?
A definitive solution to this paradox must await additional research.
Source: Publication of the USDA Center
for Nutrition Policy and Promotion 2002
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