Ever gotten up early on a Saturday morning with excitement to go shopping for bargains? The journey begins with a ride in the car, driving along humming to the tunes of a favorite song. Suddenly distracted by the brightly colored signs that announce, Farmers Market ahead. The car was getting closer to discovering baskets filled with apples & oranges, carrots, potatoes and green leafy vegetables. The aroma of fresh strawberries in the air jogs a thought; this is not a traditional grocery store where the expense of healthy food challenges the budget. These are local vendors servicing right out of the neighborhood, which turns out to be a short commute that saved money on gas and made the whole trip worthwhile. Even though locally grown foods are less expensive, healthy eating should be affordable for everyone because it reduces the risk of sickness and disease, influences people to eat better and encourages people to buy them.
It is a proven fact that eating carrots will help the retina and other parts of the eye function smoothly (Health Magazine/ Mind & Body, 2014) as well as broccoli is a source of calcium (The Editors of Publication International, Ltd., 2007), which builds strong bones, and blueberries provide strength to the nervous system. Since foods such as these serve as a nutritional value for our bodies, then why are they the most expensive on the market? According to Polis "The most comprehensive study of its kind indicates that yes, unhealthy food is about $1.50 cheaper per day, or about $550 per year, then healthy food. While it is found $550 per year is burdensome for many people, that cost figure does not include any long-term healthcare cost as a result of eating a poor diet”(Polis, 2014, para.). People are almo...
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...ieved from YouTube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDhsyI0qeWY
12. SlimGenics (2012, February 28). Fight the Obesity Epidemic [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzrSfz8oj0U
13. PsycheTruth (2011, February 27). Top Ten Obesity Causing Foods [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jCd6vIF8Co
14. Obesity in Children and Teens. (2011, March). The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Facts for Families (79), Retrieved from http://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/facts_for_families/79_obesity_in_children_and_teens.pdf
15. Black, J. (2010, Jan 06). Restaurants add healthier choices: Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/332216709?accountid=458
16. Aramark. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.aramark.com/CampusDishSmartphoneApp.aspx
Michael Pollan and David Freedman are two reputable authors who have written about different types of food and why they are healthy or why they are damaging to our health. Michael Pollan wrote “Escape from the Western Diet” and David Freedman wrote “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”. Imagine Pollan’s idea of a perfect world. Everything is organic. McDonald’s is serving spinach smoothies and Walmart is supplying consumers with raw milk. The vast majority of food in this world consists of plants grown locally, because almost everyone is a farmer in order to keep up with supply and demand. How much does all this cost? What happened to all the food that is loved just because it tastes good?
Taubes, Gary. “What Really Makes Us Fat.” New York Times. 30 June 2012. Web. 29 November 2013.
"Childhood Obesity." Childhood Obesity on the Rise. Mayo Clinic, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 02 Mar.
Although the United States is considered one of the richest countries in the world the access to healthy food of good quality has been a significant issue. That problem affects especially elderly and low-income families. I live in Norwalk in Fairfield County and this is also an issue in my area despite the fact that Fairfield County is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. (fccfoundation.com). The access to organic foods is even more complicated as the pricing and supply demand dynamics present serious constraints for development in this area of food production. These complex issues are affecting large number of local residents. In this essay I will explore the underlying issues and try to evaluate potential solutions.
In America today, the economy is rapidly turning for the worst. People are losing jobs which means the unemployment rates are increasing. With Americans struggling to stay on their feet financially, they must lower their standards and do what they can to maintain a roof over their family’s head and food on the table, regardless the circumstances. Times are tough for many families, and with the costs of healthy and nutritious meals being relatively expensive, it makes it that much easier to find something cheaper and quicker to consume. It was stated in one article that a healthy diet is “also a real barrier for some low-income families, for whom it would translate to about an extra $550 a year” (1:/mkq4fuv). There are so many problems today with obesity rates rising, food insecure college students, and the lack of support from the government to help achieve lowering the cost of health foods that something needs to be done. This country is not going to get any healthier, or happier, if things do not change soon.
Zinczenko also states that, if you were to drive down any thoroughfare in America you are guaranteed to see a Mcdonald’s, but you are unlikely to find a place that sells any fresh fruits (Zinczenko 392). Zinczenko’s point is that the food industry’s unwillingness to promote more healthier foods is most likely the cause of the unhealthy diets of western societies. Another part of the problem is the pricing of healthier options, such as whole foods, fresh fruits, and low calorie snacks; all these foods are ridiculously overpriced compared to their unhealthy counterparts. One would think the food that is made to help prolong your life would be more accessible, instead it is the foods that are high on calories, fats and sugars that are cheap and available. Fast food companies go by the motto that cheaper is better, and it is how they compete with each other. Almost all fast food companies followed in McDonald 's footstep by creating a dollar menu, because they saw the drastic increase of McDonald 's revenue. When consumers see all these cheap meals for a dollar they readily buy their food from the dollar menus, rather than buying a single granola bar for the same price. In a society where most of the population is the working class, these dollar
"Poor Overall Diet, Not Fast Food, Is What's Making Kids Overweight: Study." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2010). Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/
Kiess, W., Claude Marcus, and Martin Wabitsch. Obesity In Childhood And Adolescence. Basel: Karget, 2004. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
It is nearly impossible to turn on the television or radio and not be hit with advertisements introducing the latest fast food trend – fresh and healthy food options. More often, the media bombards us with slogans such as Subway’s common pitch to “eat fresh” or McDonald’s million-dollar advertisement campaign to try the new fruit and walnut salad. Attention has made an abrupt turn from the greasy, deep-fried originals at the fast food chains to more health conscious food choices. Even a documentary of a man named Morgan Spurlock made headlines and won awards when he ate McDonald’s three times a day for a month and publicized the effects through a movie called Super Size Me. Shortly after Super Size Me caught high publicity attention, McDonald’s has introduced three “garden fresh salads.” Other popular fast food chains were not far behind the healthy menu options McDonald’s has offered, and soon numerous salad, yogurt, fruit, and grilled chicken food items popped up on every fast food menu. The message is simple; people are becoming too fat due to the consumption of fast food. Therefore, obesity and the demand for fresh, quick food service have increased the popularity of health conscious food selections on fast food menus.
Richmond, Holly. "The Richer You Are, the More You Eat Fast Food! Wait, What?" Grist. 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Have you ever considered what is in the food you are feeding your children? Most foods that are bought at the neighborhood grocery stores are considered global foods which are packed with additives and chemicals making them far less nutritious than local produce from the community farmer‘s market. After much research, I have concluded that it is better to buy produce which is grown locally rather than produce which is sourced globally (from other countries). I think this is important because most people, like myself, buy global foods and do not realize how much better local foods are for the local economy, the global environment, and our personal nutrition. Nutrition is vital to the healthy of everyone especially children, so with the purchase of local fresh produce, it can ease the worry in parents of what children as well as ourselves are ingesting.
Muntel, Sarah. "Obesity Action Coalition » Fast Food – Is It the Enemy?" Obesity Action
Greenblatt, Alan. "Obesity Epidemic." CQ Researcher 13.4 (2003): 73-104. CQ Researcher. Web. 4 July 2010.
You amble your way into the grocery store, picking out products from carefully stocked aisles and surveying choices from cereals, frozen meals, to assorted fruits and vegetables. In this moment, you are choosing to exchange your money for goods. You are voting with your dollar. Nutrition and health are paramount to one's lifestyle and to aim for greater can occasionally mean spending more. There is no denying the economic intricacies food industries implement into selling their products. Using one's voice is important; however, where one spends their money is just as influential when it comes to speaking to corporations associated with the food industry. In the works "How Junk Food Can End Obesity" by David H. Freedman, "The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food" by