Poor people are fat because they can't afford healthy food

[bleubird]

I work retail.We sell liquor and food.If one was clever,they could make a sort of good meal out of what we sell.I see a lot of SNAP.I see a lot of seemingly able young males that do not work.Most are native Alaskan..They for the most part do not own cars or drive.So they must use the bus. Think about dealing with bags of grocers on a bus with a child.

 

[EricK]

But in this thread, nobody is beating up on poor people or blaming their poverty on their choices.

They are saying the reasons that poor people are overweight, and more overweight than they have been historically, are essentially the same as the reasons that rich people are overweight and more overweight than they have been historically. There is not one set of reasons, due to their poverty, that make poor people overweight, and a completely different set of reasons which make non-poor people overweight.

Many of us have our own weight-gain/weight-loss stories. I used to be overweight, but I'm not now. I walk past the same shops as I always did, and the same shops as tens of thousands of other people also do. Some of them are better off than I, some of them are worse; some of them are fatter than I have ever been, and some are thinner than I'll ever be. To say that obesity is a problem of poverty seems to be ignoring the facts.

The facts for YOU in YOUR life.

My mum thinks I'm special too, but I reckon she's probably biased.

But the facts I quote here are only related to me in the sense that they show that people richer than me and poorer than me can be fatter than me or thinner than me despite encountering the same "food environment"

The thread isn't just about obesity, but about the price of eating healthy and whether or not healthy foods are priced out of reach of poor people. In many cases, i say yes. Of course I look at the totality of cost whereas others look at the sales price in the circular.

But I'm not convinced this is really all that relevant. So-called "unhealthy foods" may have a long term effect on one's health, but they do not, by themselves, cause obesity. If you were in total charge of the amount someone ate, then they could eat any type of foods they want and still maintain a reasonable weight.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

The facts for YOU in YOUR life.

My mum thinks I'm special too, but I reckon she's probably biased.

But the facts I quote here are only related to me in the sense that they show that people richer than me and poorer than me can be fatter than me or thinner than me despite encountering the same "food environment"

The thread isn't just about obesity, but about the price of eating healthy and whether or not healthy foods are priced out of reach of poor people. In many cases, i say yes. Of course I look at the totality of cost whereas others look at the sales price in the circular.

But I'm not convinced this is really all that relevant. So-called "unhealthy foods" may have a long term effect on one's health, but they do not, by themselves, cause obesity. If you were in total charge of the amount someone ate, then they could eat any type of foods they want and still maintain a reasonable weight.

Weight is not the only thing that makes you healthy.
Tell you what

Next time you are in the grocery store and you see poor folks buying the wrong food, tell 'em.

 

[EricK]

My mum thinks I'm special too, but I reckon she's probably biased.

But the facts I quote here are only related to me in the sense that they show that people richer than me and poorer than me can be fatter than me or thinner than me despite encountering the same "food environment"

The thread isn't just about obesity, but about the price of eating healthy and whether or not healthy foods are priced out of reach of poor people. In many cases, i say yes. Of course I look at the totality of cost whereas others look at the sales price in the circular.

But I'm not convinced this is really all that relevant. So-called "unhealthy foods" may have a long term effect on one's health, but they do not, by themselves, cause obesity. If you were in total charge of the amount someone ate, then they could eat any type of foods they want and still maintain a reasonable weight.

Weight is not the only thing that makes you healthy.

Sometimes I think you and I don't speak the same language as your replies seem unrelated to what I have said, or seem to imply I have said the opposite of what I have said (and maybe you feel the same about my replies to you).
I was, and have throughout the thread, been considering the question of whether poor people are fat because they can't afford "healthy" food (whatever that is). Your comment seems only relevant to the unrelated question of whether poor people are unhealthy because they can't afford healthy food.

Tell you what

Next time you are in the grocery store and you see poor folks buying the wrong food, tell 'em.

I have nowhere in this thread ever suggested that there are right and wrong foods. In fact I have repeatedly made the point that it is the amount of food that is eaten which is the problem. So even if I cared very much if other people choose to be fat, I wouldn't be able to tell them they are buying the wrong foods, because I wouldn't know what their intentions were. eg If I saw someone buy a large frozen pizza (2000+ calories), which presumably some people think is an unhealthy food (although I don't), then I wouldn't know if they planned to eat it all by themselves in one meal - which is likely to lead to obesity if repeated often - or were going to share it among, say, four people - where it could easily be part of a delicious weight loss regime.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

During my last successful weight loss routine, include in my meal plan was one Snickers bar a day.

MMMMMM Snickers.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Weight is not the only thing that makes you healthy.
Tell you what

Next time you are in the grocery store and you see poor folks buying the wrong food, tell 'em.

I'm of the opinion that you can't get overweight if you eat real food. Add to this the likelihood that you'll experience optimum health and there's no reason to eat the garbage that makes you sick and fat.

And if we could bottle and sell vanity we'd be thinner and fitter.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Causes of obesity

• Inactivity. If you're not very active, you don't burn as many calories. With a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you use through exercise and normal daily activities.
• Unhealthy diet and eating habits. Having a diet that's high in calories, lacking in fruits and vegetables, full of fast food, missing breakfast, and laden with high-calorie beverages and oversized portions all contribute to weight gain.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman's weight necessarily increases. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.
• Lack of sleep. Too little sleep can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite. You may also crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain.
• Certain medications. Some medications can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity. These medications include some antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, corticosteroids and beta blockers.
• Medical problems. Obesity can sometimes be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, and other diseases and conditions. Some medical problems, such as arthritis, can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain. A low metabolism is unlikely to cause obesity, as is having low thyroid function.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/basics/causes/con-20014834

 

[AthenaAwakened]

I have nowhere in this thread ever suggested that there are right and wrong foods

You are absolutlely right.

You have not and I apologize for saying aanything different

So don't tell them that they have the wrong food, just tell them to eat less. Tell poor folk to eat less. That will go over much better

 

[EricK]

I have nowhere in this thread ever suggested that there are right and wrong foods

You are absolutlely right.

You have not and I apologize for saying aanything different

So don't tell them that they have the wrong food, just tell them to eat less. Tell poor folk to eat less. That will go over much better

If a very overweight person asked me for my opinion of what they should do to lose weight, then certainly one of the things I would tell them, rich or poor, is that they should eat less.

But I'm not sure where you get the idea that I am so bothered about other people being overweight that I would offer them unsolicited advice. If it bothers them and they want my help or advice, I'll gladly help and advise; otherwise it's not really any of my business.

 

[dismal]

You are absolutlely right.

You have not and I apologize for saying aanything different

So don't tell them that they have the wrong food, just tell them to eat less. Tell poor folk to eat less. That will go over much better

If a very overweight person asked me for my opinion of what they should do to lose weight, then certainly one of the things I would tell them, rich or poor, is that they should eat less.

But I'm not sure where you get the idea that I am so bothered about other people being overweight that I would offer them unsolicited advice. If it bothers them and they want my help or advice, I'll gladly help and advise; otherwise it's not really any of my business.

That's weird. I thought the whole premise of some people in this thread was how much other people weigh and what they eat was all of our business.

When I said I was for freedom to eat whatever you want and weigh whatever you want it did not seem to go over well.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

And if we could bottle and sell vanity we'd be thinner and fitter.

I'd merely have my hair back.

 

[fromderinside]

I have nowhere in this thread ever suggested that there are right and wrong foods

You are absolutlely right.

You have not and I apologize for saying aanything different

So don't tell them that they have the wrong food, just tell them to eat less. Tell poor folk to eat less. That will go over much better

There is wrong food. Unfortunately people use it because they are unable to access (can't afford, don't have distribution available) the right food.

 

[Jarhyn]

On food deserts: I live in north Minneapolis, in Webber-Camden neighbourhood. While it is certainly not a bad neighborhood, north Minneapolis is where a lot of poor people live. Home prices in the area are depressed, and on the bus ride from downtown I keep my hand on my wallet. I occasionally catch some uninvited teens walking through my back yard, and there are a lot of chai link fences one block down.

There also happens to be absolutely no supermarkets within walking distance. The nearest is 3 or 4 miles, and I don't even have a license, much less a car.

So yes, there are food deserts. I live in one.

 

[Derec]

There also happens to be absolutely no supermarkets within walking distance. The nearest is 3 or 4 miles, and I don't even have a license, much less a car.

Now that sounds like a food desert. The problem is that the original USDA definition is 1 mile for urban (includes suburban) and 10 mile for rural. 1 mile is quite a distance for actual urban, high density locales, but there really should be a separate threshold for more spread out suburbs. Around here you can drive (or walk if you are so inclined) half a mile or more just to get out of your subdivision.
USDA has an interactive map here. Look up your own cities. It shades areas that I certainly would not consider "food deserts".

 

[NobleSavage]

On food deserts: I live in north Minneapolis, in Webber-Camden neighbourhood. While it is certainly not a bad neighborhood, north Minneapolis is where a lot of poor people live. Home prices in the area are depressed, and on the bus ride from downtown I keep my hand on my wallet. I occasionally catch some uninvited teens walking through my back yard, and there are a lot of chai link fences one block down.

There also happens to be absolutely no supermarkets within walking distance. The nearest is 3 or 4 miles, and I don't even have a license, much less a car.

So yes, there are food deserts. I live in one.

I never doubted that some exist. How do you get your food if you don't mind me asking? What do other people in your neighborhood do?

 

[arkirk]

Poor people are fat because EVERYTHING they get is poor...not just their food. I too live in one of those "food deserts" in North Hollywood. If the truth be told, most minority communities seem to have a kind of internal solidarity that lends itself to dealing in some small degree with the problem. The more diverse the community, the less serious the food desert concept is to one who does his buying of fresh veggies at an Armenian green grocer, buying his meat from a Russian butcher, getting his staples from the 99 cent store, etc. A lot of the problem comes more from not having the time to buy good raw food and prepare it yourself. When I retired, my eating became a matter of what I could cook for myself. I couldn't afford McDonalds or Taco Bell anymore. Surprisingly, I became more healthy even though I still buy an occasional doughnut from the Cambodian doughnut shop.

The problem is that poor people are driven so hard to just make all their payments for their entire working lives, they do not perform the functions necessary to prepare their own food. I have a friend who just had a stroke...he worked like hell for years and at 60, he had a mini-stroke. After recovering enough of his functions to be discharged from the hospital, the first thing he had to do was go buy cookware. He had been a contractor and ate at fairly expensive eating places but still on the fly. When every meal you eat, you cook it yourself, you become conscious of its value in keeping you alive. You become conscious of a whole other economy in your own body and in the world itself.

I think people would live differently and better if they had careers that allowed trial retirements where people in their younger years learned how to care for themselves. Generally, the materials necessary for good nutrition are available in most cities...even at food banks. I can't begin to count the older retired people I know who eat at McDonalds because they THINK that is all they can afford when in reality they could actually be eating and living far better. The plight of working people is one of simply being driven too hard and only slowing down for the Super Bowl and chips and dips.

The boob tube and all the neon signs are distractions from the reality of our lives. We are biological creatures and require a balanced diet and exercise. Both are frequently denied far too many people and when they get old, they conclude it is too late to start living healthy.

About two years ago, I looked at my own habits and changed them. I go regularly to the gym ususally 5 or 6 days a week and have only gotten stronger, lost my gut, and have more energy. If I had not made these changes, I would hate to speculate on what kind of shape I would be in. The way I see it, we have a system that exploits people, working them literally to exhaustion then dropping a lot of benefits on them they simply cannot fathom how to make useful. Capitalism is in large measure to blame for it. Investors think their money should keep people working to make them richer and they prepare all sorts of scenarios to keep them engaged and struggling. We have industries that a healthy society would not have...health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies that sell addiction to a life that is all to easy to accept, entertainment industries that sell war and violence, etc. etc. Our society is not cohesive. It is fragmented and those who exploit human labor are responsible for this. So yes, poor working people don't eat or exercise well and they get fat and unhealthy.

 

[NobleSavage]

arkirk,

You should put a tl;dl line on your posts.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

You are absolutlely right.

You have not and I apologize for saying aanything different

So don't tell them that they have the wrong food, just tell them to eat less. Tell poor folk to eat less. That will go over much better

There is wrong food. Unfortunately people use it because they are unable to access (can't afford, don't have distribution available) the right food.

Not sure about that. There are a myriad of reasons why people with money to eat healthy do not eat healthy. I think it's for the same reasons that people with healthcare don't take care of themselves, but I don't know what the reasons are for that behavior either.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

There also happens to be absolutely no supermarkets within walking distance. The nearest is 3 or 4 miles, and I don't even have a license, much less a car.

Now that sounds like a food desert. The problem is that the original USDA definition is 1 mile for urban (includes suburban) and 10 mile for rural. 1 mile is quite a distance for actual urban, high density locales, but there really should be a separate threshold for more spread out suburbs. Around here you can drive (or walk if you are so inclined) half a mile or more just to get out of your subdivision.
USDA has an interactive map here. Look up your own cities. It shades areas that I certainly would not consider "food deserts".

Yup. We live in a typical US suburb. It's a hair under 1/2 mile to the supermarket if you take the most direct route, a hair over if you don't want to walk beside 45 mph traffic. Someone in the center of the chunk will be nearly one mile from food--and that's because of a quirk of the roads. The chunk south of us it would be a mile. There are two very large gated communities within a few miles of us, most of the occupants of them are beyond 1 mile from food. $500k++ houses in a food desert?!?!

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

One mile isn't far to go, even on foot. But for a community that is not pedestrian friendly it can certainly be a pain.