Food prices could be cause of America's obesity problems

America has problems with obesity. This is an obvious statement. In fact, according to obesityinamerica.org there are approximately 127 million overweight, 60 million obese and 9 million exceedingly obese adults in America. These numbers are shocking. Now, it would be even more surprising if not everyone in America had heard of how to better these statistics. Eating right and staying active are keys to remaining healthy. This though begs the question, why aren’t Americans doing anything about their weight?

Part of the reason is that society today thrives on pizza, potato chips, soda and other unhealthy foods. All over the media there are treatments for weight loss and medicines one can take to be thinner, but on the trip to the grocery store we still pick up the exact same unhealthy food. Why is that? There have to be a lot of factors involved, but one has to wonder: has anyone ever stopped to think, maybe more Americans would eat healthier if healthy food were cheaper?

If a student goes to the supermarket and buys four red delicious apples and by chance those apples weigh exactly 2 pounds, they will pay $3.18. If someone is on a budget they are less likely to spend $3.18 on four snacks when they could get six packaged brownies for $1.32. This is just one example of the difference in prices of non-healthy food as compared to healthy food.

If Americans really hope to get much thinner, the FDA should consider regulating the cost of foods. Unhealthy foods such as chips, candy bars, pizzas and others should be more expensive than fruits, vegetables and proteins. Chances are that by lowering the cost of healthy food and raising the cost of unhealthy food, the vast majority of Americans will feel more inclined to eat healthier. If America could lower the amount of unhealthy food people are eating, maybe people would feel less sluggish and more up to exercise. This is one step to a happier and healthier America, one that undoubtedly needs to be taken.

Opponents of the plan might mention that it does cost a bit more to grow healthy food, but this problem is easily averted. If America would take even a portion of the money that is being funneled into weight loss companies and put it into growing natural and healthy foods so that they cost less, this problem would be null and void. Obviously this plan is not a cure-all, but it would be a good start.

In the end, it’s always going to be the consumer’s choice as to what they buy, but giving a little bit of a push towards a healthier lifestyle is important. It is time for change to be made possible to those, like many of the students here at ESU, with lower incomes. It’s time that healthy foods came at a reasonable price.