Final answer:
Molly estimated the poverty line by tripling the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet based on recommendations by the US Department of Agriculture. This was on the premise that an average family spends a third of its income on food, and this multiplier provides an overall poverty threshold benchmark.
Step-by-step explanation:
Molly used the US Department of Agriculture's recommendations for the minimum amount of healthy food, estimated the cost for a variety of family types, and multiplied this figure by a factor of 3 to measure the poverty line. This approach to determining the poverty line was based on the finding that the average family spent one-third of its income on food. Therefore, by tripling the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet, one could estimate what a family would need to make ends meet for all its expenses, thus defining the poverty threshold.
The concept of a poverty line is critical in understanding economic conditions and for establishing policies for social welfare. Molly's work involves applying her knowledge from her previous job at the US Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Home Economics and Human Nutrition to create a realistic and socially relevant measure of poverty. Her methodology integrates the principles of nutrition and economy to address comprehensive well-being in society.