Answer to Question 1
c
Answer to Question 2
Although the coexistence of obesity and food insecurity sounds contradictory, they sometimes coexist in the same families and the same individuals. There are three primary explanations for this paradox.
1.The need to maximize caloric intake: The need within households with food insecurity is to maximize caloric intake. Without adequate resources for food, families must make decisions to stretch their food money as far as possible and maximize the number of calories they can buy so that their members do not suffer from frequent hunger. Low-income families therefore may consume lower-cost foods with relatively higher levels of calories per dollar to stave off hunger when they lack the money or other resources to purchase a more healthful balance of more nutritious foods.
2.The trade-off between food quantity and quality: Along the continuum of typical coping strategies, food quality is generally affected before the quantity of intake. Households reduce food spending by changing the quality or variety of food consumed before they reduce the quantity of food eaten. As a result, although families may get enough food to avoid feeling hungry, they also may be poorly nourished because they cannot afford a consistently adequate diet that promotes health and averts obesity.
3.Overeating when food is available:
Chronic ups and downs in food availability can cause people to eat more when food is available than they normally would. When money or SNAP benefits are not available for food purchases during part of the month, for example, people may overeat on the days that food is available. Over time, this cycle can result in weight gain. Research among food-insecure families also shows that low-income mothers first sacrifice their own nutrition by restricting their food intake during periods of food insufficiency in order to protect their children from hunger. This practice may result in eating more than is desirable when food is available, thereby contributing to obesity among poor women.