fact or fiction: poverty lends itself to obesity because eating healthy is expensive

[Real Men Wear Green]

No, eating shit is easier, not cheaper. Pasta, water, vegetables, rice, bread, and lean cuts of meat are not expensive.

There's almost nothing cheaper than white flour and sugar. You're right about it being easier much of the time but there are other factors like what's in your neighborhood store and how much the heads of a household know about nutrition. Some people just want a full belly and a mouthful of sweet, not thinking about the quality of what they consume. And here in the greater Boston area, there's no Whole Foods or Trader Joes in Dorchester and Roxbury, our black/hispanic cities or Southie, the poor white area, while Cambridge, Brookline, Allston, Brighton, North End and South end all have plenty.

[bdreason]

I think it has more to do with education and self control. Unhealthy food is just so available and affordable, that the average person is constantly tempted and steered towards unhealthy alternatives. I'd be interested to see if they have a stat for % of obese adults/children by region/city. I feel like, for the most part, I've lived in cities that promote a 'healthy' lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of fatties, but you are constantly surrounded by people who are in shape; running, biking, surfing, etc. and it's definitely contagious.

[DeuceWallaces]

There's almost nothing cheaper than white flour and sugar. You're right about it being easier much of the time but there are other factors like what's in your neighborhood store and how much the heads of a household know about nutrition. Some people just want a full belly and a mouthful of sweet, not thinking about the quality of what they consume. And here in the greater Boston area, there's no Whole Foods or Trader Joes in Dorchester and Roxbury, our black/hispanic cities or Southie, the poor white area, while Cambridge, Brookline, Allston, Brighton, North End and South end all have plenty.

THat has nothing to do with the question. I don't care if they're ignorant, it doesn't make eating healthy any more expensive.

[UtahJazzFan88]

Go out and get some f*cking exercise if you're only eating Top Ramen and off the dollar menu if your so "poor".

[G-train]

Lots of fat rich guys around.

[Scholar]

C'mon, guys. Use common sense here. Do you think everyone uses common sense?

Simple answer: No.

Some people are looking for a quick meal. Give a tramp, who isn't trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes, a $5 bill and I bet he'll go buy a $5 meal at McDonald's instead of going into a grocery store to buy $5 worth of food.

Just because you guys on this message board are saying that it can be affordable to buy healthier food doesn't mean everyone thinks that way.

Hell, I guarantee there are a few households that think, "Shit, well, I've got this paycheck. It's not much. Let me see here... If I buy this healthy shit, it'll last a week (maybe) but I won't be able to munch on my favorite fast food until the next paycheck. I guess I'll just buy one meal at Jack in the Box instead."
How do I know all this? I grew up poor. Fortunately, my entire family has very high metabolism, so none of us got fat, but I'll definitely vouch for the millions of other poor folks in this country alone who choose unhealthy food over healthy varieties simply because the unhealthy food is readily available and seems affordable.

Fuck it, though. I wish I saw this thread before getting baked. I feel like I have a lot of points to make, but I can't get them across too well in this state of mind.

[G-train]

I can only speak from an Australian point of view, but what the West calls poverty (renting a small area and a few hundred bucks a week), its cheaper to buy Mcdonalds than to go to super market and buy those ingredients to make burgers.
But there are other alternatives to eat obviously.
Most poor people that are fat don't exercise and just cant be bothered cooking stuff, just like they cant be bothered getting a job.
Poverty is a mindset in many ways.

[Randy]

You have $10 to spend to feed five people, what are you gonna get? Burgers or canned food at $1 each, or 5 oz. of spinach, a tomato, and an avocado? Produce is expensive as hell, and the quality is usually average at best. Whole Foods has the best quality produce around and it's 50-60% more than other chains, if not more.

[Real Men Wear Green]

THat has nothing to do with the question. I don't care if they're ignorant, it doesn't make eating healthy any more expensive.

Yes it does. Ignorance and poverty go hand in hand. That's not explicitly stated in the title but it's a fact that shouldn't be ignored.

[-p.tiddy-]

I try to eat as healthy as possible, all organic when I can...shopping organic only is very expensive...


America is one of the only countries where the poor are fat and the rich are skinny...so as far as the US goes, obviously poverty lends itself to obesity, there are stats to back it up...WHY it does can be debated I guess.

[Randy]

Slow vs fast metabolism is basically bullshit, a "fast" metabolism burns about 200 more calories a day. Metabolism has very, very, very little to do with rising obesity rates.

[tpols]

Yes it does. Ignorance and poverty go hand in hand. That's not explicitly stated in the title but it's a fact that shouldn't be ignored.

Yup.. a lot of poor people end up poor because they couldnt make the best out of the resources around them especially in places like the U.S.

And then you're going to expect them to create meals from scratch? The trend for their entire lives carries over and they will just go by something that takes no effort on their part to create.

[Myth]

That dude in the far right.... That's levitation, Holmes!

I noticed that too

[knickballer]

Eating healthy or healthier is actually cheaper than eating at a fast food joint. People are just way too lazy and dumb to do anything about their obesity problems.

[DeuceWallaces]

Yes it does. Ignorance and poverty go hand in hand. That's not explicitly stated in the title but it's a fact that shouldn't be ignored.

The question posed is if it's too expensive, not whether the poor are too stupid to realize that it's not.