East Harlem Hunger - Obesity Study

New Studies Examine East Harlem Food Struggles:
One Analysis Connects Hunger and Obesity, One Tells Personal Stories


The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) released two new studies
today debunking old myths about hunger in the community of East Harlem, N.Y.

Hunger and Obesity in East Harlem: Environmental Influences on Urban Food
Access, by J.C. Dwyer, details the often-overlooked connection between
hunger and obesity. And Deborah Goldstein's The Faces Behind the Statistics
uses a narrative approach to focus on the people who are forced to obtain
food at the Yorkville Common Pantry (YCP), a large food distribution and
social services program in the neighborhood.

Using existing data as well as his own original research, Dwyer pinpoints
"control" as the root cause of simultaneous hunger and obesity in East
Harlem. He observes that many of the area's residents have turned to
fattening, processed foods because they lack the financial means to control
their diets by accessing healthier, more expensive options. Many processed
foods are low in nutrients, forcing some East Harlem residents to consume
large quantities just to survive. Dwyer advances the outline of a solution
to the dual challenges of low-income hunger and poverty. He focuses on
reforming emergency food programs, increasing access to food stamp benefits,
pushing "green" alternatives and planning future urban development with an
eye toward empowering low-income consumers.

The Faces Behind the Statistics is a natural companion piece to Dwyer's
broad view of East Harlem consumption patterns, conveying "what chronic
poverty feels like" through a series of personal interviews and analysis.
Goldstein notes typical YCP customer characteristics such as a sense of
caring for others, resilience in the face of trauma and ambivalence about
seeking help. The report gives examples of how low-income New Yorkers
voluntarily and involuntarily serve as caregivers for members of their
extended families and others. It also proposes a broader community role for
emergency food providers and several governmental reforms.

Dwyer, director of programs and national service at the New York City
Coalition Against Hunger, submitted his study toward completion of a Master'
s degree in social research from Hunter College. Goldstein's analysis
originated at the Hunter College School of Social Work and was subsequently
published by the Coalition.

Both studies are available on the NYCCAH web site at www.nyccah.org.

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