In the United States, in 2001, 34% of the population was overweight. (Townsend) Overweight and obesity seem to be problems linked to the wealth and more than sufficient food supply in the United States. In recent years a lot of attention has been paid to people becoming more physically fit and changing their diet to become healthier. Gastric bypass surgery has become a popular choice for people trying to overcome extreme obesity. The operation limits “food intake by creating a narrow passage from the upper part of the stomach to the wider lower part, reducing the amount of food the stomach can hold and slowing the passage of food through the stomach.” (NIDDK) Having this emphasis on health and nutrition would appear to be the solution to our nation's obesity problem. However, of the moderately food insecure population, 52% were overweight. (Townsend) Food insecurity exists when the availability of safe and nutritionally adequate foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain. More than half of the U.S. population at risk of hunger is overweight. Why should obesity be more prevalent among this group of people with fewer resources? Diet and surgery do not solve the problems of the economic groups with the most serious weight and nutrition problems. Surgery is expensive, and people with limited resources are unlikely to buy expensive health foods when there are cheaper alternatives that satisfy hunger. McDonald's “Dollar Menu” is certainly less expensive than preparing a balanced meal. Another reason for obesity in low-income groups is a theory called the “food stamp cycle” hypothesis. Food stamps and most pay......half the paper......urity and obesity in rural womenhttp://ruralwomenshealth.psu.edu/s05_colson-cbove.htmlTask ​​Force for the Initiative of the bishops on children and poverty. Community with children and the poor. Nashville, Tennessee: Cokesbury, 2003. Townsend, Marilyn S., Janet Peerson, Bradley Love, Cheryl Achterberg, and Suzanne P. Murphy (2001). “Food insecurity is positively related to overweight in women.” Journal of Nutrition, 131, 1738-1745. The American Society for Nutrition Sciences.http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/6/1738U.S. Conference of Mayors – Seduxho USA. Hunger and Homelessness Survey 2004. 3-5,42http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/hungersurvey/2004/onlinereport/HungerAndHomelessnessReport2004.pdfWeil, Andrew. Eat well for optimal health. New York: Random House, 2000. Willet, Walter C. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.