Dorothea Lange’s famous Great Depression photograph of a gaunt migrant mother and some of her children has been a long-lasting symbol of the poor in America. But the reality of the Great Recession is different.While it might sound counterintuitive, obesity is as common among the homeless as in the general population, according to a study by Harvard Medical School and Oxford University.

Why? Because cheap food that fills you up fast is full of fat and sugar. Also, the bodies of people who have experienced chronic hunger adapt by storing more fat reserves.

It’s a phenomenon that grabbed the attention of Jim White. The Virginia Beach health guru owns two fitness centers, is a national spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and writes for such well-known publications as Men’s Fitness magazine.