Has anyone taken a look at the November 29, 2010 issue of Newsweek?
If not, I definitely encourage you to pick up or peruse a copy.
The title article, entitled “Divided We Eat,” takes a look at the tremendous disparity between the diets of the poor and the wealthy. Profiling three Brooklyn families, author Lisa Miller describes the growing difference between the increasingly local, organic diets of the upper classes in comparison with the junk-food-centered meals of many poor people. “The freshest, most nutritious foods have become luxury goods that only some can afford,” she says. “Corpulence used to signify the prosperity of a few but now has become a marker of poverty.”
Miller also put forth some fascinating but frightening statistics:
- 17 percent of Americans (over 50 million people) are food insecure
- In NYC alone, 1.4 million people are food insecure
- “[Between 2004 and 2008], food prices overall rose about 25 percent; the most nutritious foods rose 29 percent, while the least nutritious food prices rose just 16 percent.”
- “[There is] no single time of day when Americans predictably sit together and eat. By contrast, 54 percent of the French dine at 12:30 each day.”
Looking at today’s eats, I see that I am no exception to this rule.
Lunch was a huge salad of romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and Sabra.
As well as a snackplate containing a pear, red grapes and peanut butter on a sandwich thin.
My afternoon snack was a honeycrisp apple with peanut paste made from TJ’s peanut flour.
Would I eat this way if I were struggling to make ends eat? I can’t say for sure, but it’s doubtful. I’m know that I am incredibly fortunate to have financially stable parents who understand my healthy habits and still foot the grocery bill, and I am very grateful because I realize that it’s a luxury that many people do not have. So many people point to “eating too much” as the main culprit of obesity, and while that fact cannot be denied, I think the fact that cheap food generally equals unhealthy food is often overlooked. It’s definitely a huge factor to address as our country battles this obesity epidemic.
What are your thoughts on this logic? Do you think that there is a way for the government to subsidize healthier foods? Which do you think is more important- addressing obesity as a nutrition-based problem, or as an economically-based one?
35 comments:
I think you totally hit the nail on the head - healthy food IS too expensive! When I go down to the grocery store, 99% of special offers are for junk - 24 packs of crisps for £1 etc etc. It's no wonder people less well off have to buy it...I think it's something that needs to change, but I have NO idea how it could be done!
I also think obesity is part-ignorance, part-money based. Some people really don't realise that, idk, donuts have a lot of calories, whereas oatmeal might not have as much - so education plays an imprtant role for sure. ...
Good post!
I NEED to read this article, so badly. I see so many debates and readings about food like this, and it's all so controversial, it's hard to form an opinion. Ack!
hey girlie!!
we've been discussing your last question in my health and fitness nutrition class...and honestly I'm torn with my response! health food is expensive, and a 1$ hamburger might actually satisfy you more than a 1$ honeycrisp...
I am SO THANKFUL that I have a large food budget while being a college student. I do believe that my access to healthier foods makes my healthy eating habits easy. Living here in Cali the produce is pretty cheap though, and high quality...so I think it also depends on the region you're living in.
I hope you are having an awesome weekend chica!!
xoxo!
That looks like a great article. I think the obesity problem is both a problem of poor nutrition but also because it costs more to eat healthy all the time. Or at least takes more effort which many people don't want to put in.
Even if I had trouble making ends meets, I still wouldn't opt for junk foods that are cheap. I'd just buy all conventional produce and products at the store instead of organic, wouldn't buy my GF breads but opt for cheaper ways to get my grains like oatmeal and quinoa, and probably be eating a lot of brown rice and beans from the bulk bins.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xoxo
I agree with this whole heartedly! When the unhealthier, more processed options are more readily available and cheaper, people will be more likely to purchase them. Especially when coupled with the fact that many of these foods taste really good to many. It's hard to motivate yourself to buy more fresh produce, when you have bills you need to pay and can get a frozen pizza for half the cost.
Too funny...I was going to address this article in a post, too! I thought it was a very fascinating article. I'm lucky to come from a family that can buy raspberries in the middle of winter, but this is a luxury many families can't afford. $1.99 will get you a Big Mac, fries, and a full stomach...will a $2.00 piece of fruit do the same?
There are obviously many reasons for obesity, including culture (everybody I know eats like this!) and lack of nutrition knowledge (bagels with cream cheese are healthy, right?). But poverty is definitely a huge part. Not only is there the issue of cost, but of availability and so-called "food deserts."
On the other hand, though, I am on a very strict budget and I manage to eat very healthy. I spend about $6 on food. I eat lots of veggies and I buy dry beans from the bulk section and I never eat out. I don't buy expensive fruits or red bell peppers or prepared foods. So it's definitely possible to eat healthy on a budget but it requires a paradigm shift.
It honestly upsets and angers me that this divide occurs. Everyone should be able to have access to fresh, healthy ingredients and food, but so many people aren't. Even when they get government help (food stamps, etc) they get more food if they buy unhealthy cheap items than quality ingredients.
I feel incredibly lucky that my mom understands my eating habits and how important it is for me to eat the way that I do. Since I'm currently unemployed, she foots my grocery bills and I can't begin to explain how grateful I am that I have that available to me. I just wish others were as fortunate.
This is sort of strange because my boyfriend and I were JUST having this conversation! We were saying how it isn't just portion sizes that are making obesity rates skyrocket but also the fact that cheap food is usually not great for you. Definitely something to think about...
Great topic for discussion! It is really sad that quality fresh food is expensive which makes it hard and less accessible for people without means. But when you put it as a priority and realize it will increase your life span or make you feel better daily, it should be something you spend on. But rent, clothes, etc. are more important when there are cheaper foods available. It is quite a predicament but really interesting.
I'm currently in school for my Master's in social work and I've learned that "food insecure" is just ONE category so when we're looking at statistics for people who are "food insecure", we're not considering other categories of people who don't have access to food. For example, those who are in the category of "very low food security" are people who have had to reduce their intake of food or change the type of food they were eating several times in one year because they lacked the resources for food. There are also the categories of "low food security" and "marginal food security", definitions of which can be found at the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service Site here: http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/foodsecurity/measurement.htm.
Basically, the number of people who lack access to quality food is even less than the statistics show because those statistics are only mentioning a portion of the hungry.
I'm very passionate about class inequalities because I can see it first hand. I was adopted into a family in the upper middle class and I grew up in Fairfield County, CT, the richest county in the richest state AND I also have a very close relationship with my biological family from Kentucky who work SO hard to take care of themselves yet they still don't make enough to do that. They gave me up to give me a better life and because of them I have the PRIVILEGE of taking care of myself and being healthy. It enrages me that being healthy is not a right but a privilege and that hard work rarely means that you can provide for yourself. The only reason I can provide for myself now is because of the opportunities I was given by being given to a family that could provide them to me.
Usually I leave short, less angry comments so sorry about this one :)
In response to Meg, read "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich and you'll get a glimpse of what it's like to be a part of America's working poor.
and in response to Ashlei, the food you're talking about is still not accessible to a lot of America. Quinoa is not something you can get on food stamps and neither are foods in "bulk bins". I recently had an assignment in grad school for social work where we had to eat as if we were on food stamps for a week. There's a lot we take for granted because we've never been in other people's shoes. We really are wearing rose-colored glasses when it comes to viewing an experience of poverty.
Ahh! Maybe I'll have to write a post about that project and a summary of Nickel and Dimed on my blog. Thanks for the inspiration, Gabriela!
great topic girl! we talked a lot about this in most of my public affairs courses. and yes it's about access and affordability but it's also about education. and in my opinion many people are not properly educated on the availability of their options. it's a tough subject!
This idea that healthy eating has to be expensive is not true at all. I don't have to shop at Whole Foods to be healthy. The class divide here is in terms of education. However, it doesn't have to be that way. There are life skills programs for low-income adults and there SHOULD be more healthy eating workshops for children in schools.
I just read an article in the New York Times about how Sarah Palin brought "good old fashioned cookies" to a press conference for people in an effort to oppose Obama's hopes of banning junk food (essentially causing him to look like the bad guy). She said that Obama thought that no one in America could feed themselves properly and was thus forcing a way of life on them that involved no comforts. Evidently she hasn't realized that the majority of Americans DON'T know how to feed themselves. And therein lies our problem...
healthy food is expensive but i like respecting my body so i don't mind
I kind of disagree. I live by myself and spend about $25 a week on groceries. I eat very little meat and do not eat out, ever. I buy very little organic produce and products, but other than that, I can say I have a very healthy diet. Buying beans, oats and brown rice in bulk, as well as produce that's on sale or in season is way healthier than a frozen pizza. You can also make your own meals at home for way less: I make my own pizza dough, tomato/pasta sauce, lasagnas, salad dressing, etc.. Sure, this takes planning and time, but it is totally worth it to save some cash. I therefore think the problem lies more in a lack of education and organization than the actual price of food.
This was a fantastic read (found whole article online), thanks for sharing! The last part of it was so inspiring, and I think shows that a healthy diet can in fact be attained on a low income if it's a top priority. However I feel hypocritical saying that, since like you, I am fortunate to have the means to eat the foods that I chose to. Either way, hopefully this article will open the eyes/ears of the right people and have a positive impact in some way...
Thanks for highlighting this! We were talking last night about families who don't have enough money for food. When you go to the shelters and various places where homeless and less fortunate people go to get free food on Thanksgiving, it is amazing who you see. Not just homeless people. There are several of the "people next door" who are hurting these days and need to go to these places for a meal. So sad. But so nice to help out and see others helping out!
The article looks very eye-opening and interesting. Thanks for pointing it out! I, too, feel health food is unfairly priced when in perspective of junk/cheap food. I understand it takes more money to produce so it's hard to do aanything about it, but it really is a shame. Sometimes, though, I think it's easy to blame food costs, but if you look at stuff like cans of beans and frozen fruit and veg, that's still cheap and fairly healthy. I think public knowledge plays as equally important a role.
That said, I am so appreciative of having a stable job with good income, and my mom for still putting up with my living under her roof :P I definitely take luxury foods for granted!
More farmers markets should allow food stamps!
How's that peanut paste? Just the peanut flour and water?
some farmers markets do allow food stamps however, what someone who's starving needs are calories. fruits & veggies aren't exactly calorie dense.
have you noticed that the products with the least ingredients at the store are always more expensive? most cheap food is just filler. corn, soy, wheat...
all commodities that the government supports. if you want to fix the food system we need to start by getting rid of the food bill.
The last post with all the pictures...just gorgeous!
This post...what a huge important topic! I could go on and on..
I never shop at WF's. I buy 1 singular item there. We also go out to eat, maybe 3 times a year. Maybe. I cook from scratch 99% of what we eat. I don't buy processed foods for the most part.
I feed 3 people on a very small grocery budget. I spend in 1 day to feed 2 adults and 1 child (3 sqaures each plus many snacks per day each) what would be a typical trip to the WF's hot bar, once, for one person.
Not being married to organic, but being married to the idea of fresh, wholesome, real, raw...that is more important to me. Same with local. Nice to support local farmers but nice to buy ANY apples, not just local or organic ones.
It's not black and white. I wish I could make a video of what to buy and not buy, in my opinion of course, in order to feed a family without going into debt in this day and age.
B/c yes too many people say it's too expensive to eat clean. It can be. But it doesnt have to be.
Great post, Gabriela!
I have to check out that article, but I agree that healthy food really is too expensive!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
I shop at about 4-6 different grocery stores so that I can get the cheapest stuff. I bulk buy, and I freeze stuff. I'm definitely on the lower end of the social status, so yeah, I can't afford to buy organic produce, or eat a lot of produce for that matter. It takes a lot of energy, planning, and experience to be able to eat healthy with a low budget.
i just bought this newsweek article as well because it looked so interesting! I didn't read your post on it yet because i haven't gotten around to the article on my own and want to go in with as uncolored a view as possible but i will come back and read after i see the article myself!!!
your hummus and veggie concoction is really making me drool.
I haven't had a chance to read this article yet, but the cover really piqued my interest. This year, I've had to be a lot more conscious of the cost of my food, and making smart/healthy eating choices can definitely take a toll on my wallet. I think it is possible to eat a lot of healthy local food, but you have to know where to shop and have access to farmers markets and good grocery stores, not to mention the culinary skills to prepare all of that food. It's becoming much more of an issue across the country for people of all economic backgrounds. It'll be interesting to see if anything comes from this kind of discussion.
I think there is some truth to this. However, other aspects of poverty need to be considered as well. I think of how poverty-stricken areas don't have the luxury of grocery stores. On the other end, there are many wealthy people that are overweight and do not eat healthy.
It's an interesting conundrum.
That looks like a great article. I will have to read it. I have always thought that healthier food should be less expensive than unhealthy food or a tax could be put on unhealthy food. If people had to pay more to eat worse food then I think that people would make better choices.
It's the paradox of this country. Can I always afford everything organic, local or new and trendy? No. Am I fortunate enough that I can make decisions on what types of food I'm willing to pay more for? Yes.
I agree with Maddie - the more cheap quality food costs the less likely someone will choose that purchase. I mean when you think of it...at McD's now...some of their value meals push upwards of $10?! I know it's fast food..but that's definitely not inexpensive.
Does "food insecure" mean they don't know where their next meal will come from/if they can afford to eat?
i definitely get that cheap food is more unhealthy and i definitely think that is a huge factor... as well as convenience food being unhealthy. I care about my body so i try to get the best foods possible, but it is expensive and i realise not everyone can do the same
also,.. what ratio of peanut flour to water did you use to make the dip!? ahah i can never get mine right!
I'm definitely going to pick up this issue! We actually have been talking a lot about this problem in my Nutrition class!
I think that the government definitely needs to approach it by dealing the poverty issue and helping individuals to become more financially secure so that they can afford healthy food.
We learned about the hunger-obesity paradox, where individuals can be both food insecure and obese at the same time - because they spend what little money they have on the most calorie dense foods. They're definitely going to get more bang for their buck spending $1 on Kraft Dinner rather than one head of broccoli.
Anyways, that was my long way of saying that I think the obesity rates are definitely tied to money issues, so I think those need to be dealt with first.
Awesome post girl! :)
Oh this issue is sooooo important - I'm SO glad you posted about it! I think we NEED to be aware of what we have/don't have and the what it really means...and what we CAN do about it! Thanks for sharing!
This is a topic I'm passionate about. I've talked to low income people who say that fast/junk food isn't the only option and that while many can't afford to eat organic, there are plenty of more healthy affordable options out there. Examples are beans, rice, oatmeal, frozen vegetables. We shouldn't be thinking it's either organic OR fast food as there are healthy, inexpensive conventional foods out there. Plus, eating a more healthful diet will lead to lower health care costs. Thanks for bringing up this topic.
I will never skimp on good quality food. The Husband always rolls his eyes and gets on me for spending so much money on food, but I believe that food is so important - afterwall, we are what we eat! I am blessed enough to have lived with parents who bought me good food growin gup, and now am blessed enough financially to be able to buy the kind of food I want! :)
Post a Comment