Tech: Healthy eating too expensive for many

[dracodraconis]

A new study has shown that it is becoming more expensive to eat healthy. Over a two-year period, the price of healthy food increased by more than 20% while the price of high-calorie food increased only 5%, no more than would be expected from the rate of inflation. Healthy foods were defined as those high in nutrients and low in calories, such as fish, vegetables, and whole grains. They determined that, for many low-income and even middle-income people, healthy eating is not an option they can afford, and the problem is expected to get worse in the coming years.

Comments

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

Corn, soy, rice, wheat, they are all heavily subsidized. They are used to make processed food.

Are vegetables subsidized? Nooo. As a result, a pound of rice is cheaper than an apple.

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

Corn prices are expected to rise as well because there are now subsidies to farmers for diverting corn production to biofuels, even thought it's really not energy efficient to use corn for this purpose. This will increase corn's scarcity, causing it's price as a food product to rise.

[waterspyder.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see this study. Social workers and others than deal with low-income people and people on welfare or disability have been pretty convinced for a long time that this had been a problem, and it feeds into a larger problem as overweight and obese people generally have a more difficult time getting entry-level employment, and have more health problems, all of which contribute to perpetuating a cycle of low income, often across generations. Then there is also the trap that after a generation or two, they don't know how to eat a healthy balanced diet because it's not part of their upbringing.

It's a gripe I have.

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

You see, then, why the article caught my eye. It was a situation I knew existed but it's nice to see a study make the problem more visible. It would be nice if this could lead to some policy changes to make healthy eating more affordable.