Will Americans put on 'recession pounds'?

Americans may reduce the amount they spend on food in response to a sour economy but some experts fear they may pick up weight in the process.

The spectre of "recession pounds" is a concern weighing on health professionals, who point to numerous studies linking obesity and unhealthy eating habits to low incomes. They fear that as people cut food spending they will cut back on healthy but relatively expensive items such as fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, in favour of cheaper options high in sugar and saturated fats.

"People... are going to economise and as they save money on food they will be eating more empty calories or foods high in sugar, saturated fats and refined grains, which are cheaper," said Adam Drewnowski, the director of the Nutrition Sciences Programme at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Things are going to get worse," he said. "Obesity is a toxic result of a failing economic environment." Mr Drewnowski's own research has highlighted the link between income and obesity.

He added that studies in California suggested that a 10 per cent rise in poverty translates into about a six per cent increase in obesity among adults.

The rate of new cases of diabetes soared by about 90 per cent in the US in the past decade, fuelled by growing obesity and sedentary lifestyles, US health officials said in October.