During my trip to India, as incredible as it was, one of the most heartbreaking things I experienced was the poverty. It was hard to see little kids running up to me and pull on my shirt, begging for money and motioning to their mouths for food and young mothers using their young babies to evoke one's sympathy and therefore money.
But something that I noticed about the poverty in India was their weight. Everyone was extremely thin, showing evidence of their malnutrition. In addition to this, you could tell which people were wealthy, also by their weight. People with enough money to adequately feed themselves were heavier and sometimes even overweight, while the people in poverty were thin. Now, this isn't always the case, of course, but it seemed to be a general trend.
But something that I noticed about the poverty in India was their weight. Everyone was extremely thin, showing evidence of their malnutrition. In addition to this, you could tell which people were wealthy, also by their weight. People with enough money to adequately feed themselves were heavier and sometimes even overweight, while the people in poverty were thin. Now, this isn't always the case, of course, but it seemed to be a general trend.
I found this extremely interesting, because back at home, it seems to be just the opposite. People who don't have enough money to feed themselves are resorted to buying the cheapest foods, which often is unhealthy and heavily processed. On the other hand, wealthy people can afford to buy much healthier foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and can therefore afford to stay thin.
This trend is not something radically new; in fact it is described in the book The Fattening of America: How the Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What to Do About It by Eric Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman. The book covers many, many topics regarding the power and influence of food and obesity in our society today, but relating to this post, it specifically discusses how much cheaper it is to be fat than it is to be thin. In tough economic times, more and more people are turning to the cheapest food out there: unhealthy, greasy, and overall fattening.
A little more about the book, its main message is the link between America's obesity and our economy. According to the authors, obesity is actually improving the economy. The book coined the term "the ObesEconomy" which refers to the new markets and services caused by the increase in obesity.
Overall, I found the book to be extremely informative, giving a new and fresh perspective on the fattening of America, and filled with fun stories from the authors. It is definitely worth the read.
Peace out, and rock on.
