by Samara Alpern
Daily Lobo columnist
We are witnessing the emergence of a strange paradox - an increasing number of people go hungry and grow obese at the same time. In a country that produces more food than any country in the world, food insecurity and hunger are on the rise. One out of every six New Mexicans does not have enough food at all times to meet basic needs. Of these, 46.5 percent are working poor. Nationally, New Mexico is second only to Texas in food insecurity.
The highest rates of obesity are found among populations with the highest poverty rates. At the same time, the poor are the most likely to struggle with food insecurity and hunger. Strategies of dealing with hunger, food accessibility and the ritual of deprivation all contribute to increasing obesity among the state's hungry.
Hungry people's No. 1 nutritional concern is getting enough to eat. The Food Research and Access Center observes that people will sooner reduce the quality of their food intake before limiting the quantity of food intake - consider the fact that a bag of potato chips provides you with 1,200 calories per dollar.
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Compare that to the 250 calories per dollar provided by a bag of carrots. If your main priority is filling your belly, the bag of potato chips makes sense. However, in the long run, emphasis on consuming calorie-rich foods easily leads to weight gain and poor nutritional status overall.
Another factor contributing to obesity rates among the food insecure is food availability. New Mexico, in particular, has a significant rural population. Many people do not have access to grocery stores that can provide fresh produce at a reasonable cost. For some, food is only regularly available through convenience stores - stores with a selection of notoriously high-calorie food choices.
A third issue is the effect of intermittent food deprivation. Commonly, families depending on food stamps have adequate food for three weeks of the month, but not enough over the last week until food stamps are issued for the following month. When food is available again, the tendency may be to binge eat and consume richer foods to relieve the feeling of deprivation. This eating pattern can lead to obesity.
While the concurrent increase of hunger and obesity is distressing, New Mexicans have been working to address this dilemma.
One partial remedy to statewide hunger and obesity is the provision of nutritious school lunches. Of the food insecure, 36 percent are kids. Many of these children rely on the school breakfast and lunch program for the majority of their meals, sometimes going hungry over the weekend.
New Mexico is an innovator in the nation in employing the Farm to School program. Farm to School benefits farmers and students by purchasing local produce and other foods to serve in schools. This year, supporters hope to expand the initiative from its preliminary budget of $12,500 to $5 million.
However, Farm to School needs public support, and your call to Rep. Tom Udall, Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Sen. Pete Domenici will help secure the success of this program.
Another group improving the nutritional status of New Mexicans is the Roadrunner Food Bank - a nonprofit organization. Each week, the food bank supplies more than 54,000 people - a population equivalent to that of Santa Fe - with emergency food. While operations are impressive in scope, Roadrunner estimates it needs to double its services to eliminate hunger in the state.
Roadrunner intends to eradicate hunger while avoiding the practices that have contributed to rising obesity rates among the poor. The food bank has put an emphasis on providing as much fresh produce and other nutritious foods as possible.
Jasmin Holmstrup, the marketing director at Roadrunner, recalls a food donation she was recently forced to reject.
"I got a call from the producers of a show that was filming in Albuquerque, something like 'The Biggest Loser.' They went into a family's kitchen and found tons of sugary things, candy and soda." After remaking the family's grocery shopping habits, the producer wanted to donate all these sugary things to Roadrunner.
Holmstrup refused: "I said no. The producer said, 'I don't want to throw it all away.' I told her, 'This is the food bank telling you it's junk. It's not good for you. It's not good for the poor. Throw it away.'"
