Childhood Obesity -- Should it be a crime?

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by hooskins

So to me the issue is, is eating eating healthy more expensive?

Schneed says yes but GMScud says no. Personally I would've thought it is it is more expensive, but honestly I have no idea.

Does anyone have any links to reports or articles confirming either or?

I can only say from experience that eating out every meal is expensive and unhealthy. Going to the grocery store and buying fresh veggies, fruit, and lean meats is much cheaper than going the other route.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I can only say from experience that eating out every meal is expensive and unhealthy. Going to the grocery store and buying fresh veggies, fruit, and lean meats is much cheaper than going the other route.

Depends where you're eating out. If you're hitting up a take-out joint and spending $10 every meal, then yeah, you can cook healthy for cheaper. But $10 take-out meals aren't even an option for those with tight cash flows.

If you're going to McDonalds and getting a double cheeseburger, fries, and soda for 99 cents each (dollar menu) like so many poor people do, then you're spending $3 for a meal. If you go to the grocery store, you will be hard-pressed to put together a healthy meal for $3, even if breaking portions down on a per-unit basis.

To me, the definition of "eating healthy" is doing what the FDA food pyramid tells you. 6 servings grains (whole), 3 servings dairy (mostly milk or yogurt, less on the cheese), 4 servings of fruit and veggies (preferably fresh), and 3 servings protein (preferably lean meats), and use fats & sugars sparingly.

So looking at those FDA guidelines, you can eliminate ground beef (unless it's very lean, in which case $$$), fatty steaks, chicken pieces with the skin on, pork ribs (unless they're babyback), whole milk, white bread, white pasta, and white rice. Not to mention sodas, cakes, cookies, crackers, candy, mac & cheese. The food pyramid, if you read it right, effectively eliminates a ton of the inexpensive ingredients available at the grocery store.

Some of the most expensive? Lean beef, fish, skinless chicken breast, lean pork, fresh produce, skim milk (more expensive than whole), fruit juices. Even whole grain breads and cereals are more expensive than their white-flour counterparts.

And the other piece we're not considering, time. For many poor folks, they need to work overtime, and sometimes two jobs, to support the young'ns. That's just to have enough money to house them, clothe them, and feed them SOMETHING. They're not left with scads of time to spend in the kitchen preparing healthy meals.

A single person who makes $40K a year has enough money and all the time they need to cook and eat healthy. But the poor are much worse off. It's not as simple as making blanket statements that everyone can do it. Until you walk a mile in their shoes, you can't tell what it feels like to stroll in after a 16 hour shift and be asked to cook a nutritious meal for less than $3 per person.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

And the other piece we're not considering, time. For many poor folks, they need to work overtime, and sometimes two jobs, to support the young'ns. That's just to have enough money to house them, clothe them, and feed them SOMETHING. They're not left with scads of time to spend in the kitchen preparing healthy meals.

A single person who makes $40K a year has enough money and all the time they need to cook and eat healthy. But the poor are much worse off. It's not as simple as making blanket statements that everyone can do it. Until you walk a mile in their shoes, you can't tell what it feels like to stroll in after a 16 hour shift and be asked to cook a nutritious meal for less than $3 per person.

Very good points here Schneed. Didn't really consider those. I certainly wasn't trying to preach, but at the same time my girlfriend and I both make decent money and we don't have kids, so taking time to shop for healthy food isn't difficult for us.

Although people who are too poor to grocery shop can qualify for food stamps. It annoys me when I see people paying for food at the grocery store with their food stamp cards, and the conveyor belt is full of awful stuff. And it happens all the time.

But in all honesty I would say the majority of obese people could eat properly if they wanted to. I mean really- what percentage of the population is poor, works two jobs, has no food stamp money and/or time to get to the grocery store, AND is obese or has obese children?

There are so many little things you can do to cut fat and calories. Even most fast food places have healthier choices. Like getting a baked potato or broccoli at Wendy's for your side item instead of fries. I know Subway has raisins and apple slices you can get instead of chips with their combo meals. Just a few examples.

As far as whole grains, skim milk, low fat cheese, etc etc etc- they may be more expensive than their whole milk, white bread counterparts, but not by much. A few cents here and there.

Although I don't think this is going to help matters: Food Costs Rising Fastest in 17 Years: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance