Nutritional consequences of the food insecurity: the perspective of single mothers

Objective. To Investigate the consequences of food insecurity in adult women living in poverty in Mexico City. Subjects and Methods. During year 2007 ten focal groups with 44 single mothers who were beneficiaries of a governmental program in the Tlalpan County were carried out. Results. Testimonies of women indicate that food insecurity is related with overweight. This can be the result of a consumption of a monotonous diet based in cheap and high energy density foods, that they select food that they perceive produce satiety like bread, or that they experience cycles of restriction and binge eating, skip one or more meals and the coping with psychosocial stress. In some cases, food insecurity was related with loss of body mass. Conclusion. Food insecurity and urban poverty are related not only to nutritional deficiencies but also to obesity, one of the precursors of chronic diseases.