An image of poverty is emaciated, horribly thin individuals. But the truth is more complex than that as The Obesity-Hunger Paradox explains. 37 percent of the people in the Bronx did not have sufficient funds to buy food sometime in the past 12 months. But this population has an 85 percent higher probability of obesity than wealthier New York boroughs.
How is this possible? The New York Times article suggests that it is difficult to obtain healthy food in the borough and that causes the citizens to make unhealthy decisions about the food they do purchase and eat.
Why Making Healthful Foods Cheaper Isn't Enough explains it is more than cost or availability. The University of Buffalo created an experiment where it subsidized the cost of healthy foods such as vegetables. Capitalism works - the participants did purchase more healthy foods. But guess what they purchased with the extra funds available? - more junk food. The NPR article tells that at the end of the shopping trip, the grocery cart contained the same amounts of fats and carbohydrates as when the healthy foods were not subsidized.
Yet USA Today's, Study: People would lose 5 pounds a year if soda cost extra 18% suggests that people would consume 124 calories less a day if soda were to cost an extra $1. A consumption tax on pizza and soda has been proposed as prudent social engineering.
I am not making this up - Detroit gardens need lead testing tells that fruits and vegetables may not always be healthy. The principal risk is from external contamination with soil or dust clinging to the fruit or vegetable. Many older industrial cities have a similar problem. Elevated gardens with fresh soil are suggested.
Comments