Income and Your Health
I’ve never been to a third-world country, but I’ve seen pictures. In some of the poorest areas of the world, children and adults alike are underfed and malnourished, leaving them thin and frail. Historically, average-sized and overweight people were the ones who were well off and could afford to eat full meals several times a day.
Oddly enough, the opposite occurs in the United States and other “developed” countries. Many times, it’s the impoverished populations that struggle with their weight. It’s a rather odd phenomenon, but there are a few reasons for it.
- Our country is post-industrial. Gone are the days where there were local farmers near every industrial area. Sure, there are still some local farmers, but most of our food comes from large farms that use various technologies to have the most productivity. This makes most produce more expensive, especially during off-seasons, than frozen and prepared foods.
- The processing process. The processing process involves technology and compounds that aren’t necessarily good to be introducing to the body in large doses. Also, a lot of preservatives have been shown to be counter-productive to important bodily processes. The more processed a food is, the cheaper it usually is.
- The price of “good” food. If you’ve ever tried to buy organic food, you know how expensive it can get. Some items aren’t too much more than their non-Organic counterparts (namely produce when its in season), but other items can be a dollar or two more. If you’re living on a limited income, you can’t afford that extra dollar or two for every item on your grocery list.
- Lack of education. Many people simply don’t understand how to see if their food is healthy or not. It’s a shame, really, because simple education would do wonders when people are trying to make the right food choices for their families.
- Lack of time. Many people who are struggling financially are also putting a lot of time into their work. Many parents work 9 to 5 jobs, and sometimes they’ll work more than one job to make ends meet. A lack of time means that people often go to quick-and-easy meals in order to feed their families, whether it’s fast food that they get on the way home or food you can take out of the freezer and throw into the oven.
So, what can we do about this? President Obama has put forth some initiatives to help kids eat better in school, which may help with the child obesity epidemic that we are currently struggling with.
Here on Money Thinking, we are all about saving smart, but not at the cost of your family’s health. Use coupons, chase sales, and if you’re really struggling, check out your local food bank or apply for food stamps from the government. There are tons of alternatives out there during the holiday season and year round.
So, until later in the week, spend smart, save smart!
