America Is Poorer and Fatter

In a stark example of how dietary patterns have changed in recent decades, obesity among Americans has leaped by 1.7 percent over the past year as the recession deepened, according to poll data reported by Newsweek.

If the poll is accurate, it means that compared with a year ago, 5.5 million more people are obese.

Until the industrial food system reached a critical mass over the past several decades, yielding cheap food and unleashing a tide of empty calories, poverty usually meant starvation. Now, in developed countries (and increasingly in developing countries), it means overconsumption, as cost-conscious consumers seek out the cheapest foods, which are often the most calorie-laden. In general, fresh, healthy foods cost more, or at least are more difficult to obtain for many people living in poor neighborhoods.

Some observers told Newsweek that stress is also a factor. It causes people to overeat or to seek out the easiest, most convenient foods. And there's a physical component, too: Stress releases hormones that might add to body fat. (The science on this isn't totally clear.)

But the chief reason for America's recession weight gain can be found in the quarterly reports of McDonald's (MCD). The company's revenues and profits are way up, and though executives say it has nothing to do with the recession, they know better. Hard times send people to Mickey D's (and other inexpensive fast-food chains) in search of cheap calories in the form of "dollar menu" deals. Many poor neighborhoods are free of fresh produce, but there's always a KFC or McDonald's nearby.

The trend can potentially worsen the economy, some sources told Newsweek. Health care costs will rise as newly obese people start coming down with weight-related illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.

One caveat made by Kate Dailey on Newsweek's Human Condition blog: The data in the survey are self-reported, "which means the info isn't as accurate as measurements coming from one uniform, clinical source." But, she notes, that could mean that things are even worse, since people tend to underreport their weight.