Clear Solution (Or Fat Chance)

[The Ceej]

It just occured to me the reason why obesity is a big problem in America while my good friend, Andrew was telling me how he wouldn't eat anywhere other than McDonald's because he didn't want to pay too much.

Bad food is so cheap, whereas healthy food costs too much. This, I believe, is the main reason why we eat so unhealthy in this country. Therefore, I have the solution to this problem.

We make healthy foods tax exempt. There are no taxes whatsoever on foods that are good for you. On foods that are very good for you, the government subsidizes them. They'll get that money back on the next point, so don't worry. Foods that are neither healthy nor unheathy keep their sales tax. Unheathy foods get taxed based on how bad for you they are. The more unheathy, the higher the tax. I don't think people will eat McDonald's because it's cheap if they have to pay $10 for a Big Mac. They'll only eat it if they want a Big Mac. Then the only obese people will be those who choose to be obese and not the people who eat crap because they can't afford to eat healthy.

Discuss.

[oddler]

I don't agree with this at all. You can buy a full course meal at the grocery store for less than some meal deals through a fast food chain. I don't think it's about cost at all but more about time and not wanting to put effort into cooking. It's about taking the easy way out, in other words.

[Tallulah]

This is especially true with organic produce. Their markups are terrible.

Though you can get fruit and vegetables relatively cheap from a market.

Nobody really has time to cook good food these days as well (I include myself in that number. ), so salt and fat laden ready meals are used a lot, and that doesn't help.

I must stop putting those fake, additive-ridden bacon bits on my salad, too...

[Peegee]

1000$ say that fast food companies will cry foul, citing that they have made efforts to show customers the nutritional content (lol) of their food. But I still like your idea.

'Healthy' food, or 'moral' food (truly free range chicken / eggs cost a bit more than regular / cheap / fast food. If you gave them an edge, it may actually help.

Currently I think eating healthy does cost more, and thus being healthy almost seems like a luxury only richer people can have.

*waits for those who disagree*

I don't agree with this at all. You can buy a full course meal at the grocery store for less than some meal deals through a fast food chain. I don't think it's about cost at all but more about time and not wanting to put effort into cooking. It's about taking the easy way out, in other words.

This is true, and probably one of the best arguments. Good thing I modified the argument such that all food is more expensive than healthy food.

[Araciel]

Food has always been just fine where I live, healthy or no. The problem is a lot of people like to eat at restaurants/fast food or premade namebrand stuff from the grocery store. The less processed a food is, the cheaper itwill probably be. It's not hard to eat well for cheap, most people are just too lazy to do so.

[Shiny]

The whole dollar menu that McDonald's has does make it easier for low class and even middle class families. It's certainly cheaper than buying food at the local market for a meal. So I do think that unhealthy food tends to be cheaper, but I think paying a bit more for your food is worth it in the long run.

[Miriel]

I agree with PG. I've been looking into more of the "moral"-ish food products like locally grown and well treated free range chicken, beef, eggs, milk, and all this stuff costs more than the regular stuff you'd find in the supermarket.

You would think that the less processed stuff would be cheaper, but a lot of times, it's not. Organic products are a lot more expensive at my grocery store than the regular non-organic products.

Alton Brown said that people should stop looking toward organic and focus more on locally grown stuff, but that's even harder to do. =/

I wouldn't mind eating healthier, and not only that but stop eating the stuff with questionable ethics behind it. But time and money makes it hard to do. And yes, I LOOOOOVE eating out. I think eating out is one of the greatest joys in life.

Interesting though, the restaurants that use FRESH quality ingredients will always be restaurants that cost more than processed chain restaurants. With the exception of In-n-Out.

[Araciel]

The problem with organic food is that yuppies buy it. If it wasn't a niche market, it would probably be cheaper, also you have to remember that growing food organically doesn't yield the same crop/quality as the 'normal' stuff, meaning they throw out half of their harvest because it's inedible.

eating local is hard for people in many places because depending on where you live....there might not be that much to snack on Living in Ontario, Canada is actually pretty good for local food, but in the winter it gets slightly ridiculous.

[Madame Adequate]

Hm. And there I was thinking the US government was founded on ideals of personal liberty and classical liberalism.

[theundeadhero]

I think it has more to do with people not willing to do any exercise to burn off the food they eat, then the food itself.

[NeoCracker]

I think it has more to do with people not willing to do any exercise to burn off the food they eat, then the food itself.

And thats why I love you.

[escobert]

I live in vermont, I've grown up eating vermont made stuff. I ahven't eatin mcdonalds in forever

[Araciel]

I think it has more to do with people not willing to do any exercise to burn off the food they eat, then the food itself.

And thats why I love you.

I'd say the caloric intake of the average american (including canada) is far above what is necessary for their lifestyle, so it's both I would think.

[rubah]

time=money => non-fast food is two-fold expensive.

[oddler]

time=money => non-fast food is two-fold expensive.

Explain yoself! Going to the store to pick up some food can stock you for a week, thereby saving time from going to get food for seven days. Go out and get fast food once a day and I'm sure it'll add up to more than it takes to stop by the store once. Not to mention the gas with the back and the forth and the so on.