This is the U.S. county that buys the least healthful groceries

[James Bond Agent 007]

Originally Posted by Khantilever

And it’s not just a cultural thing; wealthy households in the Midwest eat healthier than poor households in the Midwest.

Actually, that would indicate a cultural thing, in that wealthy people have a different culture than poor people.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

Actually, that would indicate a cultural thing, in that wealthy people have a different culture than poor people.

Socioeconomics. Wealthier people tend to be more educated..thus more intune and aware of healthier lifestyles.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

Actually, that would indicate a cultural thing, in that wealthy people have a different culture than poor people.

I suppose you could think of cultural preferences as separate from economics in a situation like: someone comes from a culture where they like to eat X, but X is expensive and this person ends up poor and can't afford X, so they eat Y instead, even though Y was not part of their culture originally.

Say, someone from a seafood-loving culture who moves to a small, inland place with no access to affordable seafood.

I suppose though on the other hand some could argue that the same person's culture changes when they become rich vs. poor, if you argue that what one person on the ground, does end up choosing even if it's for economic or practical reasons, regardless of his or her preferences, ends up becoming their culture, not what they would prefer in an ideal scenario.

[dc_denizen]

maybe these august social scientists should study which counties eat the most junk food relative to income levels. that would be actually interesting, instead of another poverty map.

[Khantilever]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

maybe these august social scientists should study which counties eat the most junk food relative to income levels. that would be actually interesting, instead of another poverty map.

See my comment from earlier; the geography of poverty is only incidental to the analysis in this study. Cultural variation in food isn’t the focus of this study anyway, and it’s not particularly interesting to economists, who like to take people’s preferences as given.

It’s hard to change people’s tastes through policy, after all. That’s what made the “food desert” hypothesis so appealing to people. It’s nice to think that with a few targeted subsidies, tweaked welfare payments, and improved access to transportation, we could solve the problem of obesity and other diet-related health issues in low income communities. Turns out, it’s not that easy.

[bnk]

I'm not going to subscribe for the article so I'm guessing the lighter the color the more healthy


If its the opposite than the entire state of California, NJ, NYC and most of New England are food deserts, that would not make sense.

[chris08876]

I think its a mix between wealth, and how one was raised. Its kinda hard to get some people to eat healthy until the doctor recommends that you do... for the sake of whoever that is.

Generations of poor eating habits, and lifestyles most likely contribute to this. Culture in other words.

Wealth could influence it. Healthy food or lifestyles can be expensive. Also, people in poorer counties or even in the inner city can't always afford to shop at wholefoods or whatever healthy store exists (with overpriced food). Ever walk into a 7/11 or a local Bodega. its all crap. Try getting something diet or without sugar... almost impossible.

The U.S. tends to overprice food with the label "organic".

But at the same time, wealth aside, its also lack of exercise that contributes to our anemic population.

[Khantilever]

Originally Posted by chris08876

I think its a mix between wealth, and how one was raised. Its kinda hard to get some people to eat healthy until the doctor recommends that you do... for the sake of whoever that is.

Generations of poor eating habits, and lifestyles most likely contribute to this. Culture in other words.

Wealth could influence it. Healthy food or lifestyles can be expensive. Also, people in poorer counties or even in the inner city can't always afford to shop at wholefoods or whatever healthy store exists (with overpriced food). Ever walk into a 7/11 or a local Bodega. its all crap. Try getting something diet or without sugar... almost impossible.

The U.S. tends to overprice food with the label "organic".

But at the same time, wealth aside, its also lack of exercise.

The idea that healthy food is too expensive, and poor neighborhoods mainly only have access to convenience store food, is known as the "food desert" hypothesis. In other words, that the nutritional gap between rich and poor is due to the high cost and low accessibility of healthy food.

This study is, I think, the biggest nail to date in the coffin of this hypothesis. The main contribution of this study is that it shows how even if healthy food were just as available and as cheap in poor neighborhoods as in rich ones, 91%
of the nutritional gap between rich and poor would remain.

[ocman]

I wonder if being near the ocean, and therefore acquiring a taste for seafood has anything to do with the numbers on the west coast and northeast. I know a lot of people who didn’t grow up near the ocean are terrified of eating fish.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by ocman

I wonder if being near the ocean, and therefore acquiring a taste for seafood has anything to do with the numbers on the west coast and northeast. I know a lot of people who didn’t grow up near the ocean are terrified of eating fish.

What about the huge popularity of freshwater fishing (eg. perch, bass etc.)? And catfish, a freshwater fish is hugely popular in parts of the US not near an ocean.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by chris08876

I think its a mix between wealth, and how one was raised. Its kinda hard to get some people to eat healthy until the doctor recommends that you do... for the sake of whoever that is.

Generations of poor eating habits, and lifestyles most likely contribute to this. Culture in other words.

Wealth could influence it. Healthy food or lifestyles can be expensive. Also, people in poorer counties or even in the inner city can't always afford to shop at wholefoods or whatever healthy store exists (with overpriced food). Ever walk into a 7/11 or a local Bodega. its all crap. Try getting something diet or without sugar... almost impossible.

The U.S. tends to overprice food with the label "organic".

But at the same time, wealth aside, its also lack of exercise that contributes to our anemic population.

What about poorer immigrant and minority neighborhoods in cities, who live in socio-economically disadvantaged conditions but still retain some of the "old country" habits? For example, poor Hispanic, Caribbean, African and Asian immigrants and their kids still often shop for fresh produce, fruit and vegetables and prefer "home cooking".

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

What about poorer immigrant and minority neighborhoods in cities, who live in socio-economically disadvantaged conditions but still retain some of the "old country" habits? For example, poor Hispanic, Caribbean, African and Asian immigrants and their kids still often shop for fresh produce, fruit and vegetables and prefer "home cooking".

When families aren't intact, too often nobody "cooks" and everybody eats the things that take the least effort which usually is junk food.