Utilizing Agricultural Diversification to Address Obesity Through Diet Diversity

Abstract

The obesity rate in the United States has doubled in the past five decades, resulting in an increased number of cases of comorbidities and mortality from non-communicable diseases. The paper explores the power of agricultural diversification as a way to improve diet diversity by addressing the generally increasing obesity epidemic. Several researchers suggest that many obese people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies that correlate directly with a lack of dietary variety. By enhancing diversity in agriculture, more varieties of nutritional food will be made available for consumption, allowing healthy eating patterns. This strategy is certainly backed by evidence from research into traditional diets—for example, that of the Maasai—which speaks to a great extent about the many benefits emanating from diversified food systems. The existing agriculture landscape dominated by a few staples—the result of subsidy structures—largely fuels the obesity crisis through over-reliance on energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. We must diversify agriculture and return the native crops that went into oblivion back into production for enhancing food systems to improve nutrition and reduce obesity. These findings argue for policy change supporting diverse farming systems, preferring the short or long term of multifaceted approach as important to support better health outcome in American communities. Broadly speaking, diversification of agriculture is a potential lever not only for reducing obesity but public health based on diet diversity.