Is There a Nutrition Based Poverty Trap?

During this section we discussed the possible poverty traps  in respect to food and also compared the similarities and differences different groups of people spent their money. In the last topic we discussed how people who are in poverty are sometimes trapped their because even the little work that they be able to obtain then and there is not enough to provide them with energy rich food to keep them productive. Pak Solhin-a poor unemployed father, even stated that lack of food impeded his productivity. That statement is very accurate because the first few calories a person has access to are the ones that are used for survival. Only when you start eating more will your body begin using it as energy. Which is is the reason why some as poor as Pak Solhin cannot be very productive in a really low paying job. The main point with this argument is that food prices are extremely high for the poor and what is suggested to be done is that either food prices are decreased or more jobs are created and wages are increased which I believe is the better alternative. Increasing wages would increase spending power for other necessities, not just food.

Another reason why the poor tend to fall into a nutrition based poverty trap is because when their spending power increases, instead of buying healthy energy rich food, they would  rather purchases things such as T.Vs, clothing, and other technologies. Increasing purchasing power is definetly as great thing which I definitely believe should happen but what is also needed is support from the government or an influential power/group. These people in poverty might not know the importance of having a nutritional diet.

This issue ties in well with my World Food Prize country because my rural family in Burma was definitely caught in a Nutritional based poverty trap. They mainly consumed rice and corn daily with no variety of other calories in their diet.

US Poverty Trap vs. Other Nations