Healthy eating only for the rich?

Originally posted by Enrikez
reply to post by scientist

 

'Some fresh fruit' does not cost $1 - $2. The Sobey's online grocery store lists 3lbs of organic apples as costing $4.95.

A cheese burger at mcdonalds costs $0.99.

false comparison. organic apples can be some of the most expensive fruit ever.

lets try a different one.

cheeseburger at mcdonalds: $.99 (1/4 LB MAX before cooking)
soda at mcdonalds (small, with ice): $.99
fries: $.99

so really, the burger, other than the bread and veggies on it, is costing you roughly $4 per pound.

that is barely a meal, but whatever.. $3 for a crappy meal that will leave you feeling like crap, and hungry an hour later.

instead of some niche organic market, I will use the weekly ads for Publix Supermarkets:

specials.publix.com...

Turkey - $.79 per pound (less than 1/4 the price of mcdonalds burger meat)
water - FREE
apple - $.50

add a couple slices of bread to the mix, and I promise you still wont be over $3.00

reply to post by scientist


It's not a false comparison.

I cannot access that site because I am not an American. But in CAD turkey costs about $2.00 per 100g. That is 2-3 slices of turkey. According to Sobey's online shopping.

That works out to approximately $9.00 per pound. The apples are comparable at $0.50 per apple.

so 100g of turkey is twice as expensive as a cheese burger at mcdonalds. And that is without buying cheese and bread, which would up the cost even more.

I think some of you here are missing the point. The ogvernment subsidizes these types of foods. They give 90% of the subsidies to 10% of what we need nutritionally.

reply to post by Enrikez


You forget everything including food is way more expensive here so just doing a transfer to dollar value is not valid, especially when the dollar is so, so weak.

Eg a cheeseburger costs 99c there but probably costs 99p here which is $2.



[edit on 20-11-2007 by Flyer]

Originally posted by Flyer
reply to post by Enrikez

 

You forget everything including food is way more expensive here so just doing a transfer to dollar value is not valid, especially when the dollar is so, so weak.

Eg a cheeseburger costs 99c there but probably costs 99p here which is $2.



[edit on 20-11-2007 by Flyer]

That is an excellent point. I can do the math with online converters though.

currency converter

Or, we can just trust each other that at Publix you can buy a pound of turkey for $.079 but in Canada it costs $9.00 per pound.

Which seems like a very big difference.

Anyway, if there are people who truly cannot afford proper food, I bet they are in the tiny minority as most fat people are just too lazy and stupid to take care of themselves.

Originally posted by Flyer
Anyway, if there are people who truly cannot afford proper food, I bet they are in the tiny minority as most fat people are just too lazy and stupid to take care of themselves.

I don't understand how you can deny that eating healthy costs more than eating non-healthy/empty calories.

And that people living in poverty are more likely to be obese. All of the evidence is staring you right in the face!

Obesity in the United States is in part an economic issue, according to a review paper on the relationship between poverty and obesity published in the January 2004 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The article suggests that the very low cost of energy-dense foods may be linked to rising obesity rates.

Here is the man who wrote this article, complete with his credentials

The paper is by Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition in the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and Dr. S.E. Specter, research nutrition scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif.

Here is his bio from the University of Washington site:

Dr. Drewnowski obtained his MA degree in biochemistry from Oxford University in the UK and his PhD in psychology from The Rockefeller University in New York. Following post-doctoral training at the University of Toronto, he returned to Rockefeller as Assistant Professor. He later moved to the University of Michigan, where he became Professor of Public Health, Psychology and Psychiatry, and Director of the Program in Human Nutrition at the School of Public Health. Dr. Drewnowski joined the University of Washington in 1998.

You say fat people choose to be fat because they are lazy and stupid. The doctor says that:

“It is the opposite of choice,” Drewnowski said. “People are not poor by choice and they become obese primarily because they are poor.”

And to further my point of healthier eating being so much more expensive, he says this:

“It’s a question of money,” Drewnowski said. “The reason healthier diets are beyond the reach of many people is that such diets cost more. On a per calorie basis, diets composed of whole grains, fish, and fresh vegetables and fruit are far more expensive than refined grains, added sugars and added fats. It’s not a question of being sensible or silly when it comes to food choices, it’s about being limited to those foods that you can afford.”

How are you going to stay ignorant of the real facts when I've presented them to you so clearly from a credible expert who agrees with me and dissagrees with you.

Do you think your callous observations and personal opinion weigh more on the truth than this man's research and verifiable proofs?

Originally posted by Flyer
No, its only the lazy people who are fat.

You can make healthy meals for very little if you put a little time and effort into it but people would just rather have their suspersize McDonalds.

I subscribe to that! I spent a few years on a very low budget and magically, always managed to eat right. Even simple things like rice and beans are relatively healthy, and a head of lettuce was always within my budget (more so than McDonalds meal for $4.89), and so were apples and juice.

Based on my experience, this particular theory is bogus.


[edit on 20-11-2007 by buddhasystem]

reply to post by Flyer


Most hatred stems from a lack of self-esteem. Look inward for answers. Hate is even more unhealthy than obesity. Hate destroys a persons life physically, emotionally and socially. It is an insidious killer.

Inflicting emotional pain is every bit as vile as a physical attack.

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by Flyer
No, its only the lazy people who are fat.

You can make healthy meals for very little if you put a little time and effort into it but people would just rather have their suspersize McDonalds.

I subscribe to that! I spent a few years on a very low budget and magically, always managed to eat right. Even simple things like rice and beans are relatively healthy, and a head of lettuce was always within my budget (more so than McDonalds meal for $4.89), and so were apples and juice.

Based on my experience, this particular theory is bogus.


[edit on 20-11-2007 by buddhasystem]

Maybe you should reevaluate what constitutes your definition of a 'very low budget'.

Once again I'll state that

"On a per calorie basis, diets composed of whole grains, fish, and fresh vegetables and fruit are far more expensive than refined grains, added sugars and added fats. It’s not a question of being sensible or silly when it comes to food choices, it’s about being limited to those foods that you can afford.”

I'd imagine that you weren't as 'strapped for cash' as you thought you were.

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by Flyer

 

Most hatred stems from a lack of self-esteem. Look inward for answers. Hate is even more unhealthy than obesity. Hate destroys a persons life physically, emotionally and socially. It is an insidious killer.

Inflicting emotional pain is every bit as vile as a physical attack.

I'd say that some people with their 'fat people are stupid and lazy' attitudes need to read and understand what Blaine is saying here.

You guys have obvious discrimination issues and possibly some sort of hatred towards obese people to make statements like you have.

That you automatically associate obesity with lower intelligence and lazyness is pretty disturbing.

Here is an old ATS thread in which I posted where I buy my wholesale foods. I have actually done a whole month of produce for as low as $60, but it was all in bulk. Cases of produce as low as $1, but it requires work, such as canning or drying, but it can be done.

Land of the Obese? ATS Thread

Originally posted by Enrikez
I don't understand how you can deny that eating healthy costs more than eating non-healthy/empty calories.

and i cant understand that you are implying that prepared food with all the additives is cheaper than buying the raw materials. Comparing healthy, multigrain and organic food to fast food it not an accurate comparison.

It's more accurate to compare the cost of a mcdonalds burger, with the cost of the raw ground beef, a single pickle, a single hamburger bun, and ketchup. If you spend more than $1 on all those ingredients, you are doing something very, very wrong.

It all goes to laziness.

reply to post by Enrikez


Yes I think this is sick and I see it in every store I shop for food in.

It took me awhile to find a diet that did not ever in any part of it include HFCS. It does indeed cost me more to eat this way. Thank you for the nice graph, that's going up on the office wall!

Sugar is OK in proportionate amounts, as is Corn Syrup, but High Fructose Corn Syrup in any amount over a long time period has terrible effects on the body.

All of you go read this Wikipedia entry ASAP.

Wiki on HFCS

Compare what you read there to the chart by the OP. Sneaky our government has been while we haven't been looking.........

Originally posted by scientist

Originally posted by Enrikez
I don't understand how you can deny that eating healthy costs more than eating non-healthy/empty calories.

and i cant understand that you are implying that prepared food with all the additives is cheaper than buying the raw materials. Comparing healthy, multigrain and organic food to fast food it not an accurate comparison.

It's more accurate to compare the cost of a mcdonalds burger, with the cost of the raw ground beef, a single pickle, a single hamburger bun, and ketchup. If you spend more than $1 on all those ingredients, you are doing something very, very wrong.

It all goes to laziness.

Why does it cost you 79 cents for a pound of turkey, but it costs me 9 dollars for the same thing?

A 900% difference in our prices there, friend.

EDIT

i think I know where you got your prices from. You are buying a whole, frozen turkey.

Where I was buying deli turkey



[edit on 20-11-2007 by Enrikez]

reply to post by Enrikez


healthy eating only for the rich ? we all eat what our parents introduced us to and what we demanded from them once we got a taste for different things--------most kids if you let them decide would eat sugary/chocolates/ potatoe chip/ items which an over abundance of are guaranteed to make them fat and sickly in the long run.the rich get into lobster/clam/oyster type menues---in addition to what kids like--------a garantee to get cancers and obesity.its pretty well proven if you want to stay healthy that you eat lots of green vegetables mainly and with lean meats------absolutely no fat allowed.clams and oysters and crabs and lobsters are bottom feeders where sewage drops to ----eat them and you eat ?same with pigs ---they eat in their own excreatment-------parents should have the common sense to force their kids to eat healthy diets and you dont have to be rich to do this.i hardly buy anything at its regular price ----buy it 1/2 price reduced because its a day or 2 old -----forgot --sugar and white bread will destroy your health in the long run---best to avoid these also.

I'd always wondered why at my local restaurant a chili-cheese dog is $4.95 while a chef's salad is $12.95.

I detect a lie in there somewhere.

reply to post by Loki

Well congratulations to you for your weight loss, but it's much more difficult than that for a lot of people, in fact I was on an 800 calorie/day diet for about 4 months and GAINED weight. And it's not just laziness.

Of course you gained weight on 800 calories a day. When you eat so little, you actually slow down and screw up your metabolism. Most people actually eat too little.

There is a major lack of understanding when it comes to Nutrition. Your body needs more than 800calories a day.

Originally posted by guavas
I'd always wondered why at my local restaurant a chili-cheese dog is $4.95 while a chef's salad is $12.95.

I detect a lie in there somewhere.

No lies or deceptions, things are worth what people are willing to pay for them, if people don't buy, watch how prices will drop to affordable levels.

Hmmm, those who believe it can be cheap to live healthily should really try feeding 5-6 kids aswell as themselves and a partner on benefits or a minimum wage even.
Not too many kids want a lettuce sandwich everyday.
Lets also not forget, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bit of supper before bed.
Try living in the real world. we arent all single on the go who can survive on buying a prepacked salad from the supermarket.

I challenge anyone who believes this is possible in the UK to go to Morrisons and with a budget of £30 fill a trolley with meals that will last 7 days without going off.
I say only £30 because I havent included all the essentials like bathroom products, toilet roll, washing up liquid, washing powder, softner, nappies and all the rest, even £30 is generous for a weeks meals on benefits.
You are feeding 2 adults and 1 child, I actually have 2 (any day now) but obviously that will not be on real food yet.

7 days, Breakfast, Lunch (dinner), Dinner (Tea), Supper, £30, I can do it with junk food lets see if you can do it with healthy food and change me and my familys eating habits and our health.

I'll look forward to this and I will genuinely put it to the test.

Oh by the way, My daughter is fussy as am I with food so dont make repeat meals through the week.
We also have big appetites.

I suppose this challenge is easily done for anyone here, the US or anywhere.
Take your shopping receipt for 7 days, deduct the essentials and work out the cost of the weeks meals, using that amount try to get 7 days full meal plan in all healthy products.
Lets see exactly what a 'healthy' eater pays out compared to us 'bad food' eaters.

[edit on 20/11/07 by eagle32]

I personally believe the obesity problem is in direct relation to the overuse of sugar (specifically HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup). If you take a random sampling of foods on say Vons.com for instance, you will see that almost every single common item contains HFCS or CornSyrup. I did a random sampling myself:
Prego spaghetti sauce: Corn Syrup is listed as ingredient #3
Kraft Mac & Cheese: Corn syrup is #2 ingredient listed in the cheese sauce.
Kellogs Nutrigrain - FIRST TWO INGREDIENTS ARE SUGAR!!!!

I just went to safeway.com/vons.com and randomly selected items.... the only item I selected was a dry angel hair pasta that didn't have sugar in it.... I didn't think it would but wanted to make sure.

Even most bread contains added Corn Syrup.

Of course, this can all be lumped into the "overly processed" category.

I recently radically changed my diet (lifestyle) and went gluten free / dairy free / egg free and guess what? I eat MORE food now than ever before, I have lost 30lbs and kept it off, I feel 100x's better, and I even "cured" myself of ADD. It has everything to do with what we put into our bodies.