Affordability Vs Unhealthy Foods

Throughout Freedman’s article he mentions the “food deserts” that exist throughout America. According to Freedman these are areas, “where produce tends to be hard to find, of poor quality, or expensive.” After all, according to Consumer Reports in 2015, “ on average, organic foods were 47% more expensive,” than conventional foods. This means that a major portion of the general public cannot buy organic food because of its price tag. Pollan concurs in Food Rules: An Eater’s Manuel that, “not everyone in America can eat well, which is a literal shame,” however he counters that, “most of us can: Americans spend less then 10 percent of their income on food.” According to familiesusa.org, as of 2016 the federal government considers a state of poverty when an individual lives on $11,880 or less annually. With this $11,880 or less that impoverished individual pays for their household expenses, transportation, personal care, and medical care in edition to food. Pollan believes in cooking for yourself as way to lose weight. He brings to light his perception that, “when you go to a grocery store, you find the cheapest calories are the ones that make you the fattest.” While he acknowledges that poverty is an influential catalyst to obesity, he fails to connect that the 14.5% Americans, according to the Census Bureau, live below the poverty line and therefore these “cheap calories” may be the most viable option. Also, even if consumers were willing to buy healthier items, many may not have the time to cook a meal due to long hours at work. This is where Freedman's argument shines. He argues for a more convenient method of aiding obesity that offers access to cheaper and healthier food that can be provided

Obesity has dangerously increased over the years. Its consequences can be fatal for the human immune system. Some of the complications of overweight are: heart disease, diabetes, malnutrition, cancer, and even death. However, the cost of healthy food is twice or three times more than the price of junk food. Everywhere healthy options are more expensive, even water costs more than sodas. Making healthier food more affordable, will contribute to having healthier population. I think healthy food options should be more affordable because cheaper prices for junk food promotes obesity and other severe health issues, and families with low income can’t afford the costs of a healthy lifestyle.

It has become impossible for low-income families to provide healthy meals for their families. Government, Farm policies and the food industry itself are main reasons as to why the cost of healthy foods has become harder for American families, especially low-income families, to provide the healthy foods needed to fight the obesity epidemic. With low- income families being the main focus point on the problem of

Individuals of higher income levels often have private insurance that allows them to see a physician on a regular basis. These individuals are able to prevent many diseases before they exacerbate. They often eat low fat diets or plant based diets. They are educated on their nutritional health and often make better choices when choosing the different types foods to eat. Due to their income, they can afford to eat healthy food and make healthy food choices. Even though these individuals may be predisposed to certain diseases, their diets prevent them from becoming prevalent in their lives. Due to the individual’s socioeconomic status they make enough money that they don’t stress about the necessities in life. These individuals live in areas such as Roswell, Johns Creek. Alpharetta, Buckhead, Kennesaw, and Stockbridge. Individuals of a poor economic status have limited access to healthcare. These individuals often have Medicaid, Medicare, or no health insurance at all. They often eat diets that are high in fat. Individuals of poor economic status aren’t often educated about eating healthy. They often eat unhealthy because it is too expensive to eat healthy. These individuals often receive government subsidiaries such as WIC and SNAP benefits for themselves and their children. There aren’t many healthy food stores if any at all in these neighborhoods. Stores such as Whole Foods, Sprout, and Trader Joe’s aren’t located in poverty stricken communities because the individuals can’t afford the prices. It is a disadvantage that the grocery chains in the neighborhood don’t offer the resident a healthier option. Individuals of poor economic status often fight chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and often cancer. They often live sedentary lifestyles that contribute to these diseases. They eat diets that are high in red meats one that contributes to

Americans today are no strangers to stretching every dollar earned in an attempt to live the American dream. Most people work long hours and eat on the fly with very little thought to what, or where, the food they have purchased came from. The reason food is so inexpensive has not been a concern to the average American, but the article written by Michael Pollan “The Food Movement Rising” attempts to convince the people that it is time to remove the blinders and take an accounting of the situation that America finds itself in. With obesity at epic proportions, and preventable diseases like

In the documentary film “Fed Up”, sugar and the sweeteners in our food or beverages is featured to be the prime ingredient that is making the most of our adolescents obese. It tells of a few families struggling with obesity, and how these families have been trying to do everything they can to help their children lose weight. It shows what kind of food that they are eating at home and the weight problem that most of the family is struggling with. The food that is being served at schools and also the thousands of products that contain sugar, everywhere groceries are bought; sugar is the main cause for obesity. It tells that low wage earners have no choice, but to buy unhealthy food, because healthier food cost more. “The bottom line: cheap, unhealthy foods mixed with a sedentary lifestyle has made obesity the new normal in America. There is no single, simple answer to explain the obesity patterns in America, says Walter Willett, who chairs the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health” article in the U. S. News. Although it does cost more, a school of public health wrote in an article, “While healthier diets did cost more, the difference was smaller than many people might have expected. Over the course of a year, $1.50/day more for eating a healthy diet would increase food costs for one person by about $550 per year. On the other hand, this price difference is very small in comparison to the economic costs of diet-related chronic diseases, which would be

Would you like to have no decisions on the healthiness of your food, and being able to only eat fast food, fried foods, etc. Most people would say no and rightfully so, people should be able to have choices on the foods they want to eat whether it’s healthy, unhealthy, fast food, farm grown, we shouldn’t have only unhealthy foods for our choices of what we eat. In the film Food Inc. directed by Robert Kenner there is a part in the movie that talks about the food choices of consumers. A point that was talked about for a decent amount of time in this part was how healthier foods are more expensive than fast food. This stood out to me because it’s true it cost more to eat healthy than it does to just go through a drive through. This is outrageous it should be the opposite, we should have to spend more for fast food than healthy foods. While at most fast food places there are ways you can eat healthy food but it is still more expensive than just buying a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets. During this part of the film a family was talking and saying that they have to choose whether to eat healthier food or get there father/husbands medicine so he could work. A family has to choose between those to things and that is not fair to anyone that has to make that decision. The family wanted to have better food and to not always be eating fast food meals but they don’t really have a choice and that is heartbreaking to see.

This statement is very dependable to people’s experiences, just like the family of Maria in the movie. Her husband is suffering from Diabetes, and their income is mostly goes to her husband’s medicine for Diabetes. Because of that, they are left with no choice but to buy fast-food burgers almost everyday. Maria states how one cabbage is usually a dollar and something cents, and in that same price, she can already purchase a burger to fill up her family’s hunger. Yes, I agree that fast-food meals are very cheap and convenient compare to other things, however, Maria and other families should not think this way. People resort to this option because they don’t have enough money and they prioritize their money into something more important, like Maria’s husband’s medicines, but that shouldn’t mean they have to eat fast-food burgers every time. Because if they continuously do this bad habit, their family will suffer in the future, and not only will they be paying for her Maria’s husband’s medicines, they might also pay for her kids’ medicines. Indeed, healthy foods can be a little costly compared to fast foods, but Maria can start from something small, like plant some organic foods in her backyard, and make soup out of it, or go to a local farmer’s market and purchase food that will suit your budget. These adjustments will not only help save our environment and one’s health, it will also lower the

Central Idea: Eating healthy provides several benefits to our bodies such as preventing cancer and providing energy for our bodies to run at top notch.

4. Should access to healthy food choices be a right for everyone? The film gives the impression that food is either cheap or healthy. Do you think it is true that food is either one or the other, or is this a false dichotomy?

Healthy eating can decrease the risk of many problems that are on the rise such as obesity, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

In Robert Kenner’s film Food Inc. this topic is addressed. It says in the movie that low income families have no other choice but to buy cheap fast food. These families rarely get the chance to buy good, healthy, organic food because it’s too

“By eating healthy you are boosting your energy levels, improving your bodily Functions and helping to improve your immune. By eating a healthy diet and combining this with exercise you could end up living a longer more vibrant life” (Bruton, 2009.p1). When people eat healthy it helps them have more energy, and having more energy will

Staying healthy and eating right is a lifestyle that many people should consider. A juicy hamburger from McDonalds dripping with special sauce topped with cheese is not exactly considered a healthy meal. Our society today is busy and on the go at all times. It is so much easier to stop and get fast food and then continue on. However, we should stop and think; is it really worth it to not eat right and exercise?

After we spitted our tasks separated into 2 groups we quickly get an Uber in order to get to our destination without wasting any time. During the interview process, the most surprising thing (moments) about it was the amount of people participating. After me and my teammates spent about 5 minutes standing in front of “Safeway” we approach one of the costumer walking out from Safeway’s exist, she was carrying 2 groceries bags, so almost immediately we walked up to her in order to ask her a simple questions that we had prepared. The funniest yet saddest respond back was “Sorry, I really don’t have time to stop and the bags are very heavy.” The lady slowly walked away from us, after we got rejected we immediately changed us way to approach people. Instead of asking the people walking in and out with 2-3 long questions, we switch to short and simple questions; for example “what are the challenges from buying healthy food?” or “What is stopping you from buying or eating healthy food and products?” etc. While we conducting the interview, we realized that the shorter the simpler the questions, the more effective the interview. When we start interviewing people with long questions, lots of people tented to hesitate on answering, some even walk-away after the first question. After we change our strategy and questions into shorter and simpler, people turn out to be more interested in answering and more collaborative, especially when we helped narrow the answer choices into “yes or