Abstract
(DHS), Schlussel et al. examine the association between household food insecurity (HFI) and excess body weight/obesity among adult women, female ad-olescents, and children under five. Their results suggest that the nature of the relationship is a function of the life course stage. Historically, HFI has been associated with undernutrition in chil-dren and adults (females in particular), especially in poorer countries where adequate nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare are in short supply. More recently however, the paradoxical situa-tion of HFI and overweight and obesity has been demonstrated in high-income, middle-income, and in ascending- or transitional-income coun-tries. In addition to the life course stage, what is particularly interesting about this paradox is that the strength of the relationship between food se-curity status and excess body weight is also in-fluenced by environmental conditions and that there is a synergistic relationship between hu-man biology and culture and behaviors.In this paper, while the positive association between HFI and child obesity is not statistically significant, food-insecure adolescent females are about two times more likely to have excess weight when compared to their food-secure counter-parts. The likelihood of excess weight is nearly 1.5 times higher among food-insecure adult females than among food-secure women. On one hand, adult females with moderate food insecurity are at a 49% higher risk of being obese than their food-secure counterparts. On the other hand, the risk of excess weight among adolescent females is significantly higher for those with severe HFI (rather than moderate HFI) when compared to their food-secure counterparts.The authors suggest that the differences in excess weight gain/obesity by severity of food insecurity between adult women and adoles-cent females reflect that the latter are resistant to fat accumulation because of the physiologi-cal changes associated with puberty (e.g., ado-lescent growth spurt which requires additional energy for increases in skeletal dimensions and developmental changes associated with repro-ductive maturation). Additionally, the authors point to cultural practices and behavior related to body image and ideal body types as a pos-sible mechanism to explain the difference in
Highlights
While the positive association between household food insecurity (HFI) and child obesity is not statistically significant, food-insecure adolescent females are about two times more likely to have excess weight when compared to their food-secure counterparts
The authors suggest that the differences in excess weight gain/obesity by severity of food insecurity between adult women and adolescent females reflect that the latter are resistant to fat accumulation because of the physiological changes associated with puberty
These results strongly suggest that a biocultural perspective is useful in understanding the relationship between HFI and excess body weight/obesity
Summary
While the positive association between HFI and child obesity is not statistically significant, food-insecure adolescent females are about two times more likely to have excess weight when compared to their food-secure counterparts. The likelihood of excess weight is nearly 1.5 times higher among food-insecure adult females than among food-secure women.
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