Income as a barrier to good health

katatak1

I read this interesting article which examines the cost of food per calorie. Turns out a healthful diet is more than 10 times more expensive than eating junk.

Read here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/a-high-price-for-healthy-food/

Have you noticed this as a a disincentive for good health? Has this impacted you at all?

I know there have been times for me where I've bought crap food simply because I didn't have enough money to buy something decent at the time.

adrian_indy

McDonald's Cheeseburger is 99 cents. Grilled Chicken Sandwich is 4.00 Dollars. Wheat noodles age sort of expensive...Ramen noodles, 5 dollars of a million of them. I think generic liters of pop is about the same as distilled water.

dragonbait0126

I am a firm believer that this is true. The last time I went to the grocery store a single red pepper was $1.50. A box of mac and cheese was 65 cents. A pineapple was $3.99 but chips were $2. I read some of the comments on that article as well and several people suggested buying beans and lentils to make soup. While that sounds all well and great, a person shouldn't have to exists on various beans and grains alone to be able to afford to eat healthy. I try to buy fresh fruits and veggies as much as I can. I'll but canned fruits and vegetables as well knowing that even though they are canned they are still better than the can of pringles. That being said, I'm also on a budget and when I'm digging through my coupons the "produce" section of my organizer is, sadly, empty.

katatak1

So how do we fix a problem like this? What can we do as a society to make living a healthy lifestyle affordable? Obesity is costing our nation about 150 billion per year. Surely a dose of prevention would be worth it for our country. Is there any way around this issue? Or is this just another consequence of the ever-widening income gap with no solution?

fbmandy55

I can't really justify or explain this, but I've cut my grocery bill in half the past two months buying somewhat clean food. I basically buy meat (frozen bulk if possible) frozen veggies, bananas and apples, cheese, milk and wheat bread. I make different things depending on what seasonings I have at home and different ways to prepare those items.

Not exactly a helpful or informative post but I recommend trying it for a week. I feed my family of 3 on $40 a week.

macpatti

It's not just about healthy food being more expensive than crap food, either. I have pretty decent health insurance, but when I need to have tests run, I have to pay 20% BEFORE having the test. I needed a root canal a few months ago and it cost me $700 WITH dental insurance. It was $25 to just pull the tooth. I can see why people choose not to seek preventative care!

katatak1

It's not just about healthy food being more expensive than crap food, either. I have pretty decent health insurance, but when I need to have tests run, I have to pay 20% BEFORE having the test. I needed a root canal a few months ago and it cost me $700 WITH dental insurance. It was $25 to just pull the tooth. I can see why people choose not to seek preventative care!

Boy am I in the same boat! I have awful, awful teeth. I brush 2-3 times a day, but due to a combination of genetics (my dad had dentures by 30), and asthma (the medicine destroys enamel), I have terrible teeth. My excessive medical bills mean I have to pay up to 1/3 of my income on this stuff. It really bites. I have good dental too, and my latest dental procedure was $650! I can't imagine how bad my teeth and other overall health issues would be if I made less than I do.

As an interesting aside, I recently read that a single person making minimum wage cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment in ANY state in the US. Think about the implications for single parents. Oy, awfulness.

UponThisRock

I can't give the study any credit until I see what criteria they used to classify "healthy" vs. "junk." I suspect they compared fruits and vegetables to twinkies and cupcakes. The energy density of a food isn't what makes it healthy.

The bottom line is, if people want to eat healthier, they will find a way to do so. Frozen veggies are $1 per bag. I get a 10 lb bag of potatoes for $3. Boneless Skinless Chicken breast is $2 per pound in bulk, other parts of the chicken are even cheaper.

Is it harder if you're broke? Of course it is, everything is harder when you're broke.

angryguy77

I can't give the study any credit until I see what criteria they used to classify "healthy" vs. "junk." I suspect they compared fruits and vegetables to twinkies and cupcakes. The energy density of a food isn't what makes it healthy.

The bottom line is, if people want to eat healthier, they will find a way to do so. Frozen veggies are $1 per bag. I get a 10 lb bag of potatoes for $3. Boneless Skinless Chicken breast is $2 per pound in bulk, other parts of the chicken are even cheaper.

Is it harder if you're broke? Of course it is, everything is harder when you're broke.

This is all true. You can eat healthy if you want to eat healthy. If it's that important to a person, they will cut other expenses out of their budget.

katatak1

I can't give the study any credit until I see what criteria they used to classify "healthy" vs. "junk." I suspect they compared fruits and vegetables to twinkies and cupcakes. The energy density of a food isn't what makes it healthy.

The bottom line is, if people want to eat healthier, they will find a way to do so. Frozen veggies are $1 per bag. I get a 10 lb bag of potatoes for $3. Boneless Skinless Chicken breast is $2 per pound in bulk, other parts of the chicken are even cheaper.

Is it harder if you're broke? Of course it is, everything is harder when you're broke.

This is all true. You can eat healthy if you want to eat healthy. If it's that important to a person, they will cut other expenses out of their budget.

While I agree completely, it still acts as a barrier to good health if you have to decide between eating good quality food and being able to pay your bills. The problem is, what can we do to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable? I'm sure you can live a healthy lifestyle on lower wages, but it's significantly harder which is part of why the poor tend to be more overweight. If I had to choose between eating good food and having heat during the winter (and yes, I've had to make that call before), well then I just tough it out with ramen every night and thank my lucky stars that I can bathe in warm water.

UponThisRock

While I agree completely, it still acts as a barrier to good health if you have to decide between eating good quality food and being able to pay your bills. The problem is, what can we do to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable? I'm sure you can live a healthy lifestyle on lower wages, but it's significantly harder which is part of why the poor tend to be more overweight. If I had to choose between eating good food and having heat during the winter (and yes, I've had to make that call before), well then I just tough it out with ramen every night and thank my lucky stars that I can bathe in warm water.

I think the problem is more one of nutrition/fitness public education. Even having to tough it out with less than ideal food for a while doesn't make a person fat.

katatak1

While I agree completely, it still acts as a barrier to good health if you have to decide between eating good quality food and being able to pay your bills. The problem is, what can we do to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable? I'm sure you can live a healthy lifestyle on lower wages, but it's significantly harder which is part of why the poor tend to be more overweight. If I had to choose between eating good food and having heat during the winter (and yes, I've had to make that call before), well then I just tough it out with ramen every night and thank my lucky stars that I can bathe in warm water.

I think the problem is more one of nutrition/fitness public education. Even having to tough it out with less than ideal food for a while doesn't make a person fat.

You're absolutely right about that! I wish we had better education programs, but I also wish that the healthy food was more affordable.

castadiva

While I agree completely, it still acts as a barrier to good health if you have to decide between eating good quality food and being able to pay your bills. The problem is, what can we do to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable? I'm sure you can live a healthy lifestyle on lower wages, but it's significantly harder which is part of why the poor tend to be more overweight. If I had to choose between eating good food and having heat during the winter (and yes, I've had to make that call before), well then I just tough it out with ramen every night and thank my lucky stars that I can bathe in warm water.

I think the problem is more one of nutrition/fitness public education. Even having to tough it out with less than ideal food for a while doesn't make a person fat.

You're absolutely right about that! I wish we had better education programs, but I also wish that the healthy food was more affordable.

And it should be! Food is, overall, more expensive here in the UK than in the US, but I'm always shocked when I visit the US to realise just how expensive fresh food is there (and how cheap processed rubbish is!). I'm not well-educated on US agricultural policy - can anyone tell me whether farmers are subsidised to produce fruits/veges/grains/lean protein/dairy? Is it more profitable for a farmer to sell to a corporation for processing or to a wholesaler? How much local produce is sold in your area? What are your perceptions of the reasons why good food/raw ingredients is/are so expensive in the USA?

Bahet

While I agree completely, it still acts as a barrier to good health if you have to decide between eating good quality food and being able to pay your bills. The problem is, what can we do to make a healthy lifestyle more affordable? I'm sure you can live a healthy lifestyle on lower wages, but it's significantly harder which is part of why the poor tend to be more overweight. If I had to choose between eating good food and having heat during the winter (and yes, I've had to make that call before), well then I just tough it out with ramen every night and thank my lucky stars that I can bathe in warm water.

I think the problem is more one of nutrition/fitness public education. Even having to tough it out with less than ideal food for a while doesn't make a person fat.

You're absolutely right about that! I wish we had better education programs, but I also wish that the healthy food was more affordable.

And it should be! Food is, overall, more expensive here in the UK than in the US, but I'm always shocked when I visit the US to realise just how expensive fresh food is there (and how cheap processed rubbish is!). I'm not well-educated on US agricultural policy - can anyone tell me whether farmers are subsidised to produce fruits/veges/grains/lean protein/dairy? Is it more profitable for a farmer to sell to a corporation for processing or to a wholesaler? How much local produce is sold in your area? What are your perceptions of the reasons why good food/raw ingredients is/are so expensive in the USA?

Good food is more expensive for 1 reason - greed. People are starting to want healthier food so companies are making healthier food and charging more for it. Lower sodium soup is more expensive than the regular stuff. Greek yogurt or low carb yogurt ismore expensive than regular yogurt. 2% fat American cheese is more expensive than regular American cheese. Ground turkey is more expensive than ground beef but just a few years ago it was VERY cheap because no one bought it.

That said, I don't think people are fat because they stretch their food dollar by buying generic bread instead of some 7 grain bread or add pasta to a dish to make it feed the whole family. People are fatter, in general (key word there. I'm sure someone can tell a tale of someone's sister's friend's mom has some disease that makes her fat even though she only eats 400 calories a day of nothing but fresh veggies.) because they are lazy. They don't want to bother to cook so they get McDonalds. They don't want to bother even walking inside so they go to the drive thru. They get home and sit in front of a screen until it's time for bed. They get up the next day and hit the Starbucks drive thru for a 700 calorie coffee. They get to work, sit at a desk for 8 hours and grab a donut from the break room. They go out to lunch with co-workers and get some sodium ridden meal with more calories than they should probably eat in an entire day. Then it's back to the drive thru for dinner. A few times a week they get on a treadmill and then wonder why they are fat when they are exercising 3 days/week just like the doctors all recommend.

Bahet

It's not just about healthy food being more expensive than crap food, either. I have pretty decent health insurance, but when I need to have tests run, I have to pay 20% BEFORE having the test. I needed a root canal a few months ago and it cost me $700 WITH dental insurance. It was $25 to just pull the tooth. I can see why people choose not to seek preventative care!

Boy am I in the same boat! I have awful, awful teeth. I brush 2-3 times a day, but due to a combination of genetics (my dad had dentures by 30), and asthma (the medicine destroys enamel), I have terrible teeth. My excessive medical bills mean I have to pay up to 1/3 of my income on this stuff. It really bites. I have good dental too, and my latest dental procedure was $650! I can't imagine how bad my teeth and other overall health issues would be if I made less than I do.

As an interesting aside, I recently read that a single person making minimum wage cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment in ANY state in the US. Think about the implications for single parents. Oy, awfulness.

I saw that article too and it' highly misleading. It's not that a single person making min wage can't afford a 2 bedroom apt in any state. It's that they cannot afford a 2 bedroom apartment in any state with only 1 week's pay. that's not only not unusual, that's the norm. Most people cannot afford their rent or mortgage with just 1 week's income.

UponThisRock

That said, I don't think people are fat because they stretch their food dollar by buying generic bread instead of some 7 grain bread or add pasta to a dish to make it feed the whole family. People are fatter, in general (key word there. I'm sure someone can tell a tale of someone's sister's friend's mom has some disease that makes her fat even though she only eats 400 calories a day of nothing but fresh veggies.) because they are lazy. They don't want to bother to cook so they get McDonalds. They don't want to bother even walking inside so they go to the drive thru. They get home and sit in front of a screen until it's time for bed. They get up the next day and hit the Starbucks drive thru for a 700 calorie coffee. They get to work, sit at a desk for 8 hours and grab a donut from the break room. They go out to lunch with co-workers and get some sodium ridden meal with more calories than they should probably eat in an entire day. Then it's back to the drive thru for dinner. A few times a week they get on a treadmill and then wonder why they are fat when they are exercising 3 days/week just like the doctors all recommend.

This. In fact, I can stretch my dollar a lot further eating chicken and rice for everyday compared to a $5 per day lunch from McDonald's.

Ocarina

I really do not believe income to be a barrier. Me and my husband make less then $40,000 a year combined. We budget well and have no debt so we can afford to go just about 100% Organic and eat a different meal every night. Its NOT because we blow our money... it's because we plan out a list, budget all our dollars, and go in with what we need and not anything on impulse.

This is obviously a specific circumstance. Some people have unavoidable circumstances and the statistics do not lie. However, you can eat the way you want to if you just plan it right. I used to believe that only rich hoity toity yuppies ate organic food and had a gourmet meal every night. Nope! Just takes some work.

dreamingchild

I disagree with the statement that income is a barrier to healthy eating...as has been stated above, it doesn't cost that much to make a healthy meal. Funny thing is a 10lb bag of potatoes for $3 will last my family of 5 over two weeks but a $2 bag of chips lasts maybe a day. If there is any type of junk in my house my kids will eat it like crazy. I quit buying white bread for this same reason...it might only cost $1 a loaf but my kids can eat it in one day. While a healthy loaf of whole wheat costs $3 and lasts at least one week. For my family, healthy eating costs less.

nehtaeh

I disagree with the statement that income is a barrier to healthy eating...as has been stated above, it doesn't cost that much to make a healthy meal. Funny thing is a 10lb bag of potatoes for $3 will last my family of 5 over two weeks but a $2 bag of chips lasts maybe a day. If there is any type of junk in my house my kids will eat it like crazy. I quit buying white bread for this same reason...it might only cost $1 a loaf but my kids can eat it in one day. While a healthy loaf of whole wheat costs $3 and lasts at least one week. For my family, healthy eating costs less.

We are the opposite. I can buy $10 worth of strawberries (which is a decent amount right now) and it's gone in two days. If I buy $10 worth of 'white' food it'll last a week. The strawberries are healthier, but I can't afford to spend $70 just on strawberries for two weeks. I can afford $20 of pasta, bread, rice. And while that may be healthier than McDonald's, there are a lot of issues with the refined nature of the product.

That said, I can't blame the whole problem on economic factors. I think there is a large role played by being either busy or lazy. I admit to being a bit of both. I work full time then come home and take care of the house and twin preschoolers, and try to focus on taking care of myself. Sometimes, it's just a lot of work to make a homemade meal with whole, fresh ingredients and hamburger helper or a pizza is just easier. There are people who work two jobs then take care of their kids who truly just don't have that time to make all these home cooked meals.