I'm not discussing the political issue that is the working poor and how nobody cares about them. If you guys want to turn this conversation into that, let's move it to a different forum.

 

I thought we were discussing the misinformation the American public has been giving about diets and/or how expensive (which I disagree with) it is to eat healthily.

 

Can you politicize this topic? Sure. But if we do, we might as well end the original conversation.

 

You're the one who opened that door with the statement that it is condescending to assume people don't know about the choices of the working poor. I simply added my insight to your statement.

I'm not discussing the political issue that is the working poor and how nobody cares about them. If you guys want to turn this conversation into that, let's move it to a different forum.

 

I thought we were discussing the misinformation the American public has been giving about diets and/or how expensive (which I disagree with) it is to eat healthily.

 

Can you politicize this topic? Sure. But if we do, we might as well end the original conversation.

 

To add to my most recent post this whole thread is a great example of how our different mindsets operate when presented with information about what has been happening in our society.

I'm not discussing the political issue that is the working poor and how nobody cares about them. If you guys want to turn this conversation into that, let's move it to a different forum.

 

I thought we were discussing the misinformation the American public has been giving about diets and/or how expensive (which I disagree with) it is to eat healthily.

 

Can you politicize this topic? Sure. But if we do, we might as well end the original conversation.

 

I know for me, eating healthy typically costs more both when buying, and in the time it takes to prepare. Whole wheat pasta costs more than regular pasta. And while it's cheaper to buy a bag of potatoes and make your own fries, it's not nearly as convenient when you're rushing off to different activities and they often aren't as tasty. Fresh fish is way more expensive than fish sticks, and it takes more time, skill and effort to prepare. For busy, working families, processed foods may not be the healthiest choice, but it is the one that fits best into their budget and time constraints.

You're the one who opened that door with the statement that it is condescending to assume people don't know about the choices of the working poor. I simply added my insight to your statement.

@rockmom opened that door. Which I think isn't needed in this discussion and why I said it felt condescending.

@rockmom opened that door. Which I think isn't needed in this discussion and why I said it felt condescending.

 

My apologies. I still stand by my statement though.

I know for me, eating healthy typically costs more both when buying, and in the time it takes to prepare. Whole wheat pasta costs more than regular pasta. And while it's cheaper to buy a bag of potatoes and make your own fries, it's not nearly as convenient when you're rushing off to different activities and they often aren't as tasty. Fresh fish is way more expensive than fish sticks, and it takes more time, skill and effort to prepare. For busy, working families, processed foods may not be the healthiest choice, but it is the one that fits best into their budget and time constraints.

 

But that's an individual choice, and that's been my whole point this entire thread. It's not the government or various organizations or agencies fault that people, especially children, are overweight or unhealthy. It's on the parents and individuals.

But that's an individual choice, and that's been my whole point this entire thread. It's not the government or various organizations or agencies fault that people, especially children, are overweight or unhealthy. It's on the parents and individuals.

 

I never argued against or said your statement was incorrect. I even said ultimately, the choice lies with the individual. My point was that for many, the choice isn't so easy as there are other parts of the puzzle that can make the choice a lot more difficult. Time, budget, lack of readily available choices are just a few things that can make the choice to eat healthy more difficult to make.

On the scale of problems in this country, this is way down the list for me. I see both sides, the misinformation and we are in control of what we eat.

 

I know when I take the grandkids to McDonald's, it is not healthy. I know when I pound down a sweet tea or A & W root beer, it ain't healthy.

 

Most everything tells you the calories and stuff, even if it is a fabrication, I know what is god and what isn't. I can afford to eat hwo and what I want, as well as my children's families, for the most part. They do a much better jb than the lovely lady and I do.

 

One of the reasons they love coming to our place is the snack basket and bags and bags of Oreos. Our kids know that too. Moderation probably isn't bad. Which is why they don't fret teh free babysitting and day care.

 

At my age, my body tells me what I can and cannot eat.

 

On the other note brought up. Many simply have no choice, due to a multitude of circumstances.

 

#1 problem for me is the lack of control of costs for health care, which probably without much effort can be tied to the topic.

Let's not forget that for a small percentage of people some medical condition is causing them to be overweight such as a thyroid condition and some drugs will cause people to gain weight such as blood pressure or seizure medication.

 

You never truly know the reasons why someone is obese.

On the scale of problems in this country, this is way down the list for me. I see both sides, the misinformation and we are in control of what we eat.

 

I know when I take the grandkids to McDonald's, it is not healthy. I know when I pound down a sweet tea or A & W root beer, it ain't healthy.

 

Most everything tells you the calories and stuff, even if it is a fabrication, I know what is god and what isn't. I can afford to eat hwo and what I want, as well as my children's families, for the most part. They do a much better jb than the lovely lady and I do.

 

One of the reasons they love coming to our place is the snack basket and bags and bags of Oreos. Our kids know that too. Moderation probably isn't bad. Which is why they don't fret teh free babysitting and day care.

 

At my age, my body tells me what I can and cannot eat.

 

On the other note brought up. Many simply have no choice, due to a multitude of circumstances.

 

#1 problem for me is the lack of control of costs for health care, which probably without much effort can be tied to the topic.

An article I just read says it costs about $1.50 more per day to eat "healthy". Some other articles will say that's false. Anyway, that's about $550 per year per person. Which is understandably a big deal for some families. That cost would likely be offset by medical cost for the "unhealthy" diet.

 

 

Found it...

 

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/

It's a few years old.

Y'all are cracking me up. I have no idea how you think I was being condescending.

 

And your grocery lists and amonuts spent for 2 people...those are about the dollar amounts I used to have for a month of groceries for me and 2 kids age 2 & 5. For a whole I qualified for commodities, but working my way up to better pay meant I worked my way out of free powdered eggs, canned beef and pork, powdered milk and copious numbers of huge boxed of corn flakes and cheerios...and the cheese.

 

Listen, it's pretty much a punch in the gut to see you say I am being condescending while reading your grocery lists and remembering how I prayed slmy family would have some extra tomatoes or cucumbers because I couldn't afford them. And let's not even talk about fruit.

 

You can call me whatever you like. You obviously are very fortunate to not have had to make those choices.

On the scale of problems in this country, this is way down the list for me. I see both sides, the misinformation and we are in control of what we eat.

 

I know when I take the grandkids to McDonald's, it is not healthy. I know when I pound down a sweet tea or A & W root beer, it ain't healthy.

 

Most everything tells you the calories and stuff, even if it is a fabrication, I know what is god and what isn't. I can afford to eat hwo and what I want, as well as my children's families, for the most part. They do a much better jb than the lovely lady and I do.

 

One of the reasons they love coming to our place is the snack basket and bags and bags of Oreos. Our kids know that too. Moderation probably isn't bad. Which is why they don't fret teh free babysitting and day care.

 

At my age, my body tells me what I can and cannot eat.

 

On the other note brought up. Many simply have no choice, due to a multitude of circumstances.

 

#1 problem for me is the lack of control of costs for health care, which probably without much effort can be tied to the topic.

 

Type II Diabetes and senility/Alzheimers go hand-in-hand. All the money that we will have to come up with to pay for the medical needs of these young children will carry on through their whole lives, literally. We can't afford that, and almost all of it is preventable.

An article I just read says it costs about $1.50 more per day to eat "healthy". Some other articles will say that's false. Anyway, that's about $550 per year per person. Which is understandably a big deal for some families. That cost would likely be offset by medical cost for the "unhealthy" diet.

 

 

Found it...

 

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/

It's a few years old.

 

I'd wonder what the average "unhealthy" family spends on soft drinks, ice cream, potato chips and etc. a year.

Y'all are cracking me up. I have no idea how you think I was being condescending.

 

And your grocery lists and amonuts spent for 2 people...those are about the dollar amounts I used to have for a month of groceries for me and 2 kids age 2 & 5. For a whole I qualified for commodities, but working my way up to better pay meant I worked my way out of free powdered eggs, canned beef and pork, powdered milk and copious numbers of huge boxed of corn flakes and cheerios...and the cheese.

 

Listen, it's pretty much a punch in the gut to see you say I am being condescending while reading your grocery lists and remembering how I prayed slmy family would have some extra tomatoes or cucumbers because I couldn't afford them. And let's not even talk about fruit.

 

You can call me whatever you like. You obviously are very fortunate to not have had to make those choices.

 

I apologize. Condescending is not the right word. I'm not sure what the right word is.

 

I just don't know what this topic has to do with working poor vs. non working poor and their diets. It's about misinformation that health departments have scandalously been providing people.

But that's an individual choice, and that's been my whole point this entire thread. It's not the government or various organizations or agencies fault that people, especially children, are overweight or unhealthy. It's on the parents and individuals.

 

We all agree w/ you on that. However, those people don't have their own health insurance. The drain that they will put on the system as they age will be born by you and I. My main frustration is that this is all preventable, and we've allowed a splash to become a tsunami. We are going to be bankrupt and it is our own faults, but our government has also permitted the food industry to lie to us. That infuriates me.