What Is Poverty in America?

[gobiggergoredder]

By its own report, the family was not hungry. The average intake of protein, vitamins, and minerals by poor children is indistinguishable from children in the upper middle class and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms. Poor boys today at ages 18 and 19 are actually taller and heavier than middle-class boys of similar age in the late 1950s and are a full one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than American soldiers who fought in World War II. The major dietary problem facing poor Americans is eating too much, not too little; the majority of poor adults, like most Americans, are overweight.
That’s a far cry from the images the news media conjure up on TV. But it’s the reality of those who are defined as poor in America.

Article Link

 

[Malth]

Might want to take a closer look at where that report originated from.

Biased report on a biased blog. Good times.

 

[Husker_x]

Might want to take a closer look at where that report originated from.

Biased report on a biased blog. Good times.

I agree about source checking, but about the premise, what really is poverty in America when compared against, say, Africa? Probably not much. We have something like a 60% obesity rate.

It's all relative.

 

[Malth]

Another thing they didn't take into account when comparing height and weight now compared to the 50's or whatever is the flood of really cheap, convenient, and sh**ty food that's much more available these days. People weren't living off the dollar menu from McDonald's back then. I think it's less of an issue of how much is being eaten, and more of what's being eaten.

But yea, I stopped reading that blog once I got to the "Obama's spread the wealth agenda" line.

 

[gobiggergoredder]

But yea, I stopped reading that blog once I got to the "Obama's spread the wealth agenda" line.

That's fair.

It is just getting more difficult watching the baby machine parents of children that go my kids' school driving nicer cars, checking internet on nicer phones and paying nothing for their kid's lunch. They drop their infants off at daycare (it's free too) so they can return home.

I can't possibly throw everyone in this bucket, but it is pathetic how many I see doing this.

The real people getting squeezed in this country are those of us in middle paying our bills.

 

[carlfense]

Might want to take a closer look at where that report originated from.

Biased report on a biased blog. Good times.

I agree about source checking, but about the premise, what really is poverty in America when compared against, say, Africa? Probably not much. We have something like a 60% obesity rate.

It's all relative.

THIS!

We certainly have our problems . . . but we're nowhere near a third world level of problems.

The "poor" in the US probably live better than the middle class in many/most countries.

 

[The Dude]

Another thing they didn't take into account when comparing height and weight now compared to the 50's or whatever is the flood of really cheap, convenient, and sh**ty food that's much more available these days. People weren't living off the dollar menu from McDonald's back then. I think it's less of an issue of how much is being eaten, and more of what's being eaten.

I agree with your point about people eating proccessed garbage that barely qualifies as food. At the same time portion sizes have more than doubled in that time. Soda pop comes in 20oz bottles instead of 8oz bottles, bagels have more than doubled in size, ect. So we are eating more, and that is an issue.

 

[strigori]

The authors of that article have clearly never been, or known poor people. The feeling they trow off seems to point that only households that conjure images of Oliver Twist classify as poor. The simple inclusion of a refrigerator on the list of 'amenities' screams an agenda.

 

[Husker_x]

The authors of that article have clearly never been, or known poor people. The feeling they trow off seems to point that only households that conjure images of Oliver Twist classify as poor. The simple inclusion of a refrigerator on the list of 'amenities' screams an agenda.

A means of preserving foods and access to electricity and presumably running water completely shifts the focus of the discussion. Compared to Africa, we're not even talking about poverty anymore. When you can throw in cable TV and a car, we're off the grid to the point where American poverty would be something to aspire to in third world countries.

 

[strigori]

The authors of that article have clearly never been, or known poor people. The feeling they trow off seems to point that only households that conjure images of Oliver Twist classify as poor. The simple inclusion of a refrigerator on the list of 'amenities' screams an agenda.

A means of preserving foods and access to electricity and presumably running water completely shifts the focus of the discussion. Compared to Africa, we're not even talking about poverty anymore. When you can throw in cable TV and a car, we're off the grid to the point where American poverty would be something to aspire to in third world countries.

That's apples and oranges though. The only people who really live like a third world country here would have to be homeless. We have certain expectations that go hand in hand with living in a developed, modern nation. Things like electricity and running water, and refrigerators.

 

[IvabigN]

The authors of that article have clearly never been, or known poor people. The feeling they trow off seems to point that only households that conjure images of Oliver Twist classify as poor. The simple inclusion of a refrigerator on the list of 'amenities' screams an agenda.

A means of preserving foods and access to electricity and presumably running water completely shifts the focus of the discussion. Compared to Africa, we're not even talking about poverty anymore. When you can throw in cable TV and a car, we're off the grid to the point where American poverty would be something to aspire to in third world countries.

That's apples and oranges though. The only people who really live like a third world country here would have to be homeless. We have certain expectations that go hand in hand with living in a developed, modern nation. Things like electricity and running water, and refrigerators.

and a dvd player and a cell phone and welfare debit cards that are accepted at Subways and newer cars and two tv's- sorry I don't really think that is poor or deserving of my taxes-

 

[Malth]

I think it's odd that you can use foodstamps at subway, but cell phone, dvd player, etc? This is pretty standard stuff. You NEED a phone, dvd player costs like 10 bucks, and you can get tv's for dirt cheap, too. I really think this study does a very poor job of getting any real information across. We get half the story and are expected to jump to conclusions without any other corroborating evidence.

 

[strigori]

The authors of that article have clearly never been, or known poor people. The feeling they trow off seems to point that only households that conjure images of Oliver Twist classify as poor. The simple inclusion of a refrigerator on the list of 'amenities' screams an agenda.

A means of preserving foods and access to electricity and presumably running water completely shifts the focus of the discussion. Compared to Africa, we're not even talking about poverty anymore. When you can throw in cable TV and a car, we're off the grid to the point where American poverty would be something to aspire to in third world countries.

That's apples and oranges though. The only people who really live like a third world country here would have to be homeless. We have certain expectations that go hand in hand with living in a developed, modern nation. Things like electricity and running water, and refrigerators.

and a dvd player and a cell phone and welfare debit cards that are accepted at Subways and newer cars and two tv's- sorry I don't really think that is poor or deserving of my taxes-

I don't think foodstamps did work at subway, it being prepared food and all. Many of the people with a cell phone have that as their only phone. TVs and dvd players are, A cheap, and B available at the goodwill for just a little money. And just because people may have something doesnt say how they got it. Scrimping and saving for months on end, a gift, or possibly before losing a job, and so on. That is an 'infotainment' article designed to rile up people for the author's political reasons.