Potatoes or Potato Chips?  How much you got in your wallet?

The word is out about how important it is to eat healthier and to avoid pre-packaged junk food.  We hear all the time about how trans fats and high fructose corn syrup are out, and how apples, carrots and fresh veggies are back in.  But when you manage a household on a very limited budget, as many Americans do, how feasible is it to feed your family healthy, fresh food?

Not very.  A recent study by the University of Washington tracked food costs in Seattle-based grocery chains between 2004 and 2006, and found that while costs of junk foods went down, healthy foods increased by 20%.  The study was published in the December issue of the Journal of American Dietetic Association.

The study suggests there may be a correlation between dietary choices and economic factors.   According to the article in JADA, “The survey found low-calorie foods increased in price by 19.5 percent over a two-year period, while high-calorie items dropped in price by 1.8 percent.  ‘The findings that energy-dense foods are not only the least expensive but also the most resistant to inflation may help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means,’ according to the researchers.”

So while the candidates talk about increasing access to preventive medicine by reducing chronic disease, one must step back to ponder the multi-levels of economy influencing our health care crisis.

Consider this:  obesity is tied to the top two chronic diseases in the U.S.—diabetes and heart disease.  Obesity has also been linked to cancer.  However, many families have difficulty affording healthy foods, and thereby risk obesity by filling the pantry with affordable, unhealthy food.  Fresh fruits and vegetables continue to steadily increasing in price.

The point is that our health care crisis spans so much more than “How do we pay for it?” solutions from the politicians.  We need to take a hard look at all of the strata of influence in our society and identify what it is going to take to improve the overall health of our society.  Not only do we need access to basic health care and quality medical information, we also need access to healthy, affordable food.

Sarah Smith

COO CodeBlueNow!