If you’ve reached this conclusion, you might want to reconsider. The cold, hard facts surrounding poverty in the United States are clear-and very disturbing.
When we think of poverty, images of far-off worlds come to mind. But poverty is a very real thing right here in the United States. And the statistics surrounding it are nothing short of terrifying.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly fifteen percent of the population of the United States lives in poverty. That translates to about 46.7 million people.
Even more concerning, living in poverty comes with a plethora of health risks. That’s because experts say that poverty and poor health go hand in hand.
It’s like an endless round robin of sorts. Poverty is said to raise one’s chance of suffering from health issues; and these health issues keep people in poverty.
The question is: why are so many health risks associated with poverty?
One of the first reasons that poverty affects health comes in the form of simple nutritional deficiencies. In short, if you’re poor, it can be expensive to buy nourishing foods. As a result, you’ll probably choose processed foods and other numbers-oriented convenience options designed to feed a large family and last for the greatest amount of time possible.