Alabama Moves Up the Poverty Ranks – A Good Thing?
September 11, 2007
The U.S. Census Bureau just recently released new national numbers related to poverty. Alabama’s ranking changed this time, but little else in the realities for those who are poor changed at all. Take a look at this article for a basic report on the findings. And here’s another.
Be sure to notice the comments by APP board member Kimble Forrister in the first article. The question remains for us, in the light of mixed results from surveys, whether or not we will be satisfied with so many of our citizens living in poverty.
We may have “moved up” to number ten in the rankings, but we can’t take much pleasure in that, not with the knowledge that it reflects mostly that other states are faring worse than before. Still, as small as the gain is, its good to know that things have gotten a little better.
See this opinion piece for a little different perspective on the report. They have it right about the need for more effective education in our state. Take a look at this web page for a number of reports from the Census Bureau regarding poverty.
A Connection Between Obesity and Poverty?
We Alabamians find ourselves near the bottom again in a recent report concerning obesity. It turns out that we are the third fattest state in the country.
As to the poverty angle, five of the top ten most overweight states are the also the poorest states.
Beyond the numbers, the realities are that low wealth folks have a harder time providing a healthy diet for themselves. According to the researcher quoted in this article, "The reason healthier diets are beyond the reach of many people is that such diets cost more. On a per calorie basis, diets composed of whole grains, fish, and fresh vegetables and fruit are far more expensive than refined grains, added sugars and added fats. It's not a question of being sensible or silly when it comes to food choices, it's about being limited to those foods that you can afford."
It’s pretty much a one to one correlation: when it comes to meeting needs, especially the most basic ones, those with fewer resources have a harder time than those with much. That seems obvious, I know, but we seem to lose sight of this so often.
“Why didn’t those people in New Orleans just leave when they knew the hurricane was coming?” Because they simply did not have transportation. “Why don’t poor people make better decisions about what they eat?” Because they simply don’t have the income to support the better choices.
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