Originally Posted by Air

There is a tipping point. I notice it in the city - the middle and lower class really find it hard to afford to eat healthy while those more well off can. Straight up groceries are more expensive - it's cheaper to buy a can of potatoes in syrup then the real thing without the preservatives. That's not even considering organic or higher quality foods. Actually I linked a video that talked about it here.

Some of the stuff you'd get at the organic cafes are expensive and so small that it wouldn't constitute a meal by itself (hence the other courses a la carte). Four combos at McDonalds runs you a little more than $20. For a family of four on the run McDonalds becomes the more economical choice. Supersize for $0.59? Sure thing! I see it with a few of my friends - they are real quick to get take out for the family. One 16" pie? $10 - feeds at least 4 people depending on how hungry they are. You'd be hard pressed to duplicate that with healthier options for the same price. And so it starts - and the more people are used to eating large sizes and are fat the more they need to eat which translates into more business in the long run.

Originally Posted by article

Price of lower-calorie foods rising drastically, UW researchers find

As food prices rise, the costs of lower-calorie foods are rising the fastest, according to a University of Washington study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. As the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables and other low-calorie foods have jumped nearly 20 percent in the past two years, the UW researchers say, a nutritious diet may be moving out of the reach of some American consumers.

UW researchers Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition, and Dr. Pablo Monsivais, a research fellow in the center, studied food prices at grocery stores around the Seattle area in 2004. They found that the foods which are less energy-dense -- generally fresh fruits and vegetables -- are much more expensive per calorie than energy-dense foods -- such as those high in refined grains, added sugars, and added fats.

When the researchers surveyed prices again in 2006, the found that the disparity in food prices only worsened with time. Lower-calorie foods jumped in price by about 19.5 percent in that two-year period, while the prices of very calorie-rich foods stayed stable or even dropped slightly, the researchers found. The general rate of food price inflation in the United States was about 5 percent during that period, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

"That the cost of healthful foods is outpacing inflation is a major problem," said Drewnowski. "The gap between what we say people should eat and what they can afford is becoming unacceptably wide. If grains, sugars and fats are the only affordable foods left, how are we to handle the obesity epidemic?"

Research conducted by Drewnowski and others at the UW Center for Obesity Research had previously shown that per calorie food costs were much higher for fresh produce and other recommended foods than for fats and sweets. Those studies were based on prevailing food prices in the United States and in Europe.

This project was the first of its kind to track the change in prices over time not by food group, but by food quality. The Labor Department monitors food prices by tracking the cost of an average "food basket," which is calculated based on what American consumers purchase at the grocery store. However, the researchers argue, the inflation rate of the overall basket may drastically underestimate the rising cost of the healthiest foods.

The UW study looked at price inflation in foods grouped by energy density, or calories per gram of food. Energy density is one measure of food quality, since many energy-dense foods also tend to be low in nutrients. People who eat energy-dense foods may consume more calories than they need.

"We are an overfed but undernourished nation," said Drewnowski.

Drewnowski and Monsivais argue that the study provides yet another piece of evidence that obesity isn't just a personal problem -- it's an economic one.

"We need to focus on bigger-scale changes, like the farm bill or other policy measures that can address the disparity in food costs," Monsivais said.

The project was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in the National Institutes of Health.

Originally Posted by bautieri

Are we arguing fresh fruits and vegetables vs organic fresh fruits and vegetables, or just overall eating healthy?

Originally Posted by ChunkyB

The second one. I think organic stuff was brought up because it's even more expensive, but the thread is just about eating healthy vs. eating junk.

Originally Posted by The Historian

It's as expensive as you want it to be. My morning breakfast of oatmeal is a lot less expensive than picking up breakfast sandwiches at the local market. Conversely, eating 'real food' for dinner is more expensive than the turkey hot dogs I used to 'dine' on in my 385 pound days.

Originally Posted by ChunkyB

That could be a life motto. I think people waste so much money, and then complain that they don't get paid enough. If you want to take the time to do things right, I'm convinced that anyone on any budget could eat right. But it does take time and planning.

I think we would all agree that it's easier to eat junk than it is to eat healthy. But I don't buy it if someone says they absolutely can't eat healthy because of money.

Originally Posted by The Historian

It's about making choices. Just like weight loss itself.

Originally Posted by ChunkyB

Exactly. Isn't that what life's about? Make good choices, and you'll like the outcome.

I think a growing trend in the world is to not take responsibility for one's choices. Either we blame someone else, or we blame other things. I think, for the most part, we choose to be thin or fat.

Anyways, I think the moral of the story is that nothing's stopping anyone from getting thin or fat. It's up to them.

Originally Posted by ChunkyB

Of course, that's easier typed than done. I need to try to put my money where my mouth is (honestly, no pun intended, although it's pretty funny given the subject of the thread) this year to reach my weight loss goals. Wish me luck.

Originally Posted by The Historian

Luck has nothing to do with it. That's the point. :-)

Originally Posted by Tom Stormcrowe

Pardon the multiple negative:

I can't "NOT" afford to have a healthy diet. The associated medical expenses involved with poor diet and obesity are overwhelming eventually, if you don't (Ask me how I know this )

Originally Posted by The Historian

Can I go first, Tom? My hospitalization back in 2005, just for testing, cost over 10 thousand dollars. All that because I had heartburn. :-)

Originally Posted by Tom Stormcrowe

My return to health has topped $500,000.00, and I'm NOT kidding at all! Add up the costs of treatment for endocrine disease, cardiac issues, several years of O2 therapy, my surgery and cost of addressing the side effects....all I can say is WOW! (I'm looking at another $30,000 or so for excess skin removal and aftercare eventually as well)