I'm pretty sure the point of the OP was that it's cheaper to buy the fattie foods. Thus, money is the reason, since it costs more to buy healthy food.
There's a ton of competition for low-priced fatty food because there's a ton of demand for fatty food.
If people really wanted to have fresh green beans as a quick lunch, you can bet that Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King, etc. would be able to make it happen...
However, the profit's in the fat
Vic
Elite Member
- Jun 12, 2001
- 50,422
- 14,337
- 136
The REAL reason.
Not too long ago, it was widely believed that population increases would lead to widespread starvation. Government agencies around the world worked with farmers, agricultural companies, food processors, etc. in order to increase yields and maximize nutritional content. Unfortunately, the fears proved to be overstated and now we have an overabudance. The "organic" foods movement is the backlash to this BTW.
Not too long ago, it was widely believed that population increases would lead to widespread starvation. Government agencies around the world worked with farmers, agricultural companies, food processors, etc. in order to increase yields and maximize nutritional content. Unfortunately, the fears proved to be overstated and now we have an overabudance. The "organic" foods movement is the backlash to this BTW.
Firsttime
Platinum Member
- Mar 31, 2005
- 2,517
- 0
- 76
It's a personal choice, it is dumb to think that anyone becomes fat overnight. Everyone knows the green beans are better for you then the JBC, but some people have no disipline. They choose the fatty foods over the healthy foods because quite frankly fat tastes good. I don't think you can blame it on a lack of information. All one has to do is listen to the radio to hear storys about how we are killing ourselves, you don't even have to own a TV or a computer to hear the endless tales of the "Obesity Epidemic."
I would also like to mention that I deliver expensive pizzas to overweight people in slummy areas more often than I do to rich people...for whatever that is worth.
BTW, even with dollar menus, I still have to spend around 5 dollars (after tax) to get a good filling meal from fast-food restaurants.
BTW, even with dollar menus, I still have to spend around 5 dollars (after tax) to get a good filling meal from fast-food restaurants.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned emotion yet. All of the obese people that I know are emotionally attached to food. They seem to think that eating unhealthy foods will make them happy.
funboy6942
Lifer
- Nov 13, 2001
- 15,368
- 418
- 126
Originally posted by: jlbenedict
:thumbsup:
True.. Fast food is cheap.. anything bad for consumption is cheap.
So, why are the "rich" skinny? More informed? Can afford healthier foods?
Have the ability to hire a chef?
You hit the nail on the head. I can feed my family cheaper on the not so heathy foods then if I was to prepare "government" standards type meal. I spend over $550 a month in food for my family of 4 and if we were to eat healthy all the time would tripple that.
There was a video I watched a long time ago about sugar and corn and how the government is all up on that and making billions off all the crap cheap food we consume. Its all smoke and mirrors. They want you to watch one hand and make you believe they want you to be healthy and buy good food but in the other hand you dont see is them making all the money feeding you the sugar and stuff made from corn and corn by products (corn syurp is one).
I cant remember the video but it had alot to do with school govenment run lunches and stuff where they had like very little healthy stuff and had junk sugar loaded stuff cheap for the rest. I will see if I can find it, was quite interesting but nothing new the government does.
Rich people can afford to eat healthy if they choose to and can afford gym memberships or fancy home equipment. Most that are well off dont have both parents working so they can still afoord the food and the SO has time to prepare it for the family and SO when they come home.
Person on a tight budget has to cut corners to make it though life and cant afford all that. Its mainy waking up, both parents go to work, come home fix a quick dinner, lucky to have 3 hours of quality time with the family, go to bed and start it all over again for most americans. Alot work hellacious hours or two jobs so no time to even cook so fast food is it.
OH yeah and alot of our food is brought into this country and for alot of farmers they make more money off the government not growing food on thier lands and taking in what the government gives them instead.
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 143
- 106
So overabundance and non organic food is why we're fat today? Highly doubtful, I could eat a salad and a tuna/chicken sandwich everyday and not be overweight. I will agree that some common synthesized chemicals like HFCSyrup contribute significantly, but overall you can still choose non organic foods that are healthy today (fish, chicken, salads, milk, yogurt, eggs, etc) . Just because there are more refined chemicals on the market and fast/fatty foods are cheap doesn't mean we absolutely have to ingest them.
I think the computer/video game revolution, more movies to choose from, more channels on TV resulting in a lack of exercise/being active contribute more to obesity than GMO foods and chemicals. I can ingest fatty foods but will remain skinny as long as I'm excercising like a champ (albeit it's tougher to keep the weight off with fatty vs healthy food).
- Oct 28, 1999
- 62,484
- 8,345
- 126
It's not because of cost, it's because of taste.
And that's it.
If a salad was $1.00 and a cheesburger was $1.00, most people are still going to choose the cheeseburger.
Why?
Because fat ladden, calorie dense sh!t tastes good to most people. Most people do not eat well because they choose to, not because they can't afford to.
It's as simple as that.
A head of lettuce or salad worth of spinach, a tomato and a cucumber can be bought for around $1.50 or $2.00 at most grocery stores. Whole chickens are around $1.00 a pound. You can easily feed a family four on that for under $5.00.
It just takes work and a desire to eat better.
And that's it.
If a salad was $1.00 and a cheesburger was $1.00, most people are still going to choose the cheeseburger.
Why?
Because fat ladden, calorie dense sh!t tastes good to most people. Most people do not eat well because they choose to, not because they can't afford to.
It's as simple as that.
A head of lettuce or salad worth of spinach, a tomato and a cucumber can be bought for around $1.50 or $2.00 at most grocery stores. Whole chickens are around $1.00 a pound. You can easily feed a family four on that for under $5.00.
It just takes work and a desire to eat better.
thescreensavers
Diamond Member
- Aug 3, 2005
- 9,916
- 2
- 81
DefDC
Golden Member
- Aug 28, 2003
- 1,858
- 1
- 81
Exercise and education FTW. Many poor and/or uneducated people don't know whats healthy and what's not. After you've grown old enough on a crap diet, it's hard to get a taste for "healthy" foods. Daily exercise is hard for anyone to hasn't made it part of their daily routine.
I used to be a sloth in high school and was overweight. I had time and the facilities for daily exercise in college and I lost 60lbs... Now that I graduated, and am being lazy, I'm gaining weight again. A back and foot injury aren't helping... : /
I used to be a sloth in high school and was overweight. I had time and the facilities for daily exercise in college and I lost 60lbs... Now that I graduated, and am being lazy, I'm gaining weight again. A back and foot injury aren't helping... : /
Babbles
Diamond Member
- Jan 4, 2001
- 8,253
- 14
- 81
It is a shame that it does cost relatively more money to eat healthy. That being said it may be possible to cook healthy meals at home that cost less than crap food, but that also takes more time. And, as we all know, time equals money.
I usually bring my lunch to work, but on occasion I do not for whatever reason. Where I work the only really close place is some convenience store that also has some pizza shop inside it. There I can buy lunch consisting of two large slices of pizza and a soda for $3.25. I don't know of any other place where I can go and get a full meal (i.e. food plus drink) that is as filling for the same cost.
Yes, that is anecdotal evidence but with that being said it doesn't take a lot of brain power that there are boatloads of fast food joints all over the place with relatively cheap menu items (i.e. the dollar menu) that make it (1) more convenient and (2) cheaper than seeking more healthy alternatives.
I usually bring my lunch to work, but on occasion I do not for whatever reason. Where I work the only really close place is some convenience store that also has some pizza shop inside it. There I can buy lunch consisting of two large slices of pizza and a soda for $3.25. I don't know of any other place where I can go and get a full meal (i.e. food plus drink) that is as filling for the same cost.
Yes, that is anecdotal evidence but with that being said it doesn't take a lot of brain power that there are boatloads of fast food joints all over the place with relatively cheap menu items (i.e. the dollar menu) that make it (1) more convenient and (2) cheaper than seeking more healthy alternatives.
Probably right. With the other 50% made up of genetics and diet.
It ultimately comes down to personal responsibility though. It's the 2-edged sword of a free society.
Healthy food really doesn't cost more than fatty food. When I'm at work (Staples btw), i can go to the grocery store and get 2xcheese buns, 150g of ham from the deli, 2 slices of swiss cheese, and a drink for around 4 dollars (CAD!). I can also walk to Quiznos' and get a 12" sub with no drink for $8. If I wanted to make a fast cheap dinner ( I live at home and i'm only 17 so this doesn't really apply yet) I could buy some pasta (like .99c for spaghetti and enough for ~6 servings) boil 1/2 of the pasta, heat up a can of tomato sauce, fry some onions, peppers, and ground beef (add to sauce as well). Add a bag salad with some diced tomato, cucumber, and whatever else you have, and I bet you this meal wouldn't cost more than $10. You would have leftovers for lunch the next day and dinner that night. It's really not that difficult to eat healthy.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
you missed the point....
$4 for a ham sandwich is < then the $0.99 meal posted by the OP.
A Quizno's for $8 is not cheap either.
When you no longer live at home, post about grocery costs and what you would eat everyday.
Most here can tell you it would be cheap to just make 21+ meals the same for every day of the week...however, most would not be able to eat the same thing back to back or even day to day.
This is how junk food is so cheap...they just make it in bulk, they know someone will come eat it.
- Oct 28, 1999
- 62,484
- 8,345
- 126
I just hate making comparisons because people pick extremes and use them as absolutes.
Yes I, I know you can get a snickers bar for $.50. Yes I know a bag of Doritos is only $.99 for the big grab. Add in whatever concentrated lump of bleached white flour, saturated fat, and HFCS you want....
The problem is that THESE AREN'T MEALS. They never were meant to be. But people try to say that they are. These are snack items and are add ons to ones daily caloric intake.
So many people want to make the argument that it's cheaper to buy that crap. So what ifi it is. These aren't things for meals and never were intended to be. But they try and pass them off as such.
Veggies aren't meals either. They are supplements and "fillers" and should never be compared calorie for calorie to something like a cheeseburger.
Eating healthy isn't for the rich. It's for the motivated. It takes actual effort to plan out a balanced diet and actually stick to it.
But living the life of convienience and giving in to your bodies internal craving for fat and sugar is so much easier.
Look at the statisitics, even the rich are closing in on the poor in the obesitiy trend. Think that they can't afford to eat better?
It's a choice and nothing more.
Yes I, I know you can get a snickers bar for $.50. Yes I know a bag of Doritos is only $.99 for the big grab. Add in whatever concentrated lump of bleached white flour, saturated fat, and HFCS you want....
The problem is that THESE AREN'T MEALS. They never were meant to be. But people try to say that they are. These are snack items and are add ons to ones daily caloric intake.
So many people want to make the argument that it's cheaper to buy that crap. So what ifi it is. These aren't things for meals and never were intended to be. But they try and pass them off as such.
Veggies aren't meals either. They are supplements and "fillers" and should never be compared calorie for calorie to something like a cheeseburger.
Eating healthy isn't for the rich. It's for the motivated. It takes actual effort to plan out a balanced diet and actually stick to it.
But living the life of convienience and giving in to your bodies internal craving for fat and sugar is so much easier.
Look at the statisitics, even the rich are closing in on the poor in the obesitiy trend. Think that they can't afford to eat better?
It's a choice and nothing more.
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