The Affect of The Current Recession on Diets
Many people are feeling the pinch of the recession. Those that arent are hunkering down expecting the current lull to last a very long time. The fact is that there are just so many things to worry about now that sometimes people forget that their health is still something that they should be wary off. There is no point in worrying about you finances, childrens education etc while neglecting something as basic as your own health.
A recent article in a popular weight loss magazine states that the American society is the most obese in the world and has some of the highest rates of heart disease that can be directly attributed to being obese. This is even before the public knew of the pending recession. Strangely enough, with the looming recession and people cutting back on their spending for food, initial reports have indicated that even more people are graduating to the obese category and more people are suffering from heart disease. This is in sharp contrast to what normally happens to less developed nations. When suffering from financial distress they normally would suffer from malnutrition and instead start losing weight.
One of the biggest factors causing this very curious behavior is the pricing structure for foods in the USA is very different compared to other countries. The US has benefited in huge economies of scale in farming and thus is actually able to provide animal proteins and staples are prices that are often cheaper than those available for fresh green vegetables. This is certainly true in supermarkets where shoppers can often get off-cuts of meat ground-up at prices as low as 99 cents per pound. It is impossible for supermarkets to offer these prices for fresh vegetables as they simply do not have the shelf life to enable the economies of scale to happen. In normal unindustrialized nations, it would be impossible to even imagine that meats can be cheaper then normal fresh vegetables or rice.
It is this imbalance in terms of pricing foods that have made Americans so obese for so many years. The problem is now that a lot of Americans are losing their jobs and are in financial distress, they are turning to foods which are of even lower quality in the hope that they can save money. These cheaper cuts of meat are often ones with low protein and are high in fat. The cheap staples like potatoes and rice have very high G.I (glycemic index) and are generally bad for you too. Combine these cheap foods and the bargain basement price for fizzy pop and sweets and you have the recipe for one of the worst diet programs on earth.
Just to make matters worst are the huge number of fast food restaurants and diners which offer some of the cheapest meals available. Although the immediate response would be to lower ones pickiness when it comes to food, having cheap meals at the diner of at fast food restaurants are extremely unhealthy. There will be a marked deterioration of your health through eating too much fatty meats and also not eating enough fresh green vegetables to provide vital nutrients like vitamins, fiber and anti-oxidants.
Although it might be a bit hard to swallow at first, just because you are in a financial bind doesnt mean that you should stinge on your food to the point of eating unhealthily. There are actually ways in which you can get fresh clean foods without having to pay very high prices. Naturally having fresh green vegetables is very important. You should always aim for freshness, leanness and fiber for the best combination diet. The best place to source fresh greens is to visit the farmers market in the early mornings so that you can get the best quality picks at reasonable prices. As for meats, local butchers can offer cuts that arent available in supermarkets and some can even offer them at very reasonable prices.
It is never a good idea to give up year health simply for the savings of a few dollars. The moral of the story is not to accept food that is cheap but of lower quality. If you look around you will be able to find foods that are both cheap and high quality. The only problem is that you must be willing to spend some time to look for the best foods available to you and your family. - 17273
A recent article in a popular weight loss magazine states that the American society is the most obese in the world and has some of the highest rates of heart disease that can be directly attributed to being obese. This is even before the public knew of the pending recession. Strangely enough, with the looming recession and people cutting back on their spending for food, initial reports have indicated that even more people are graduating to the obese category and more people are suffering from heart disease. This is in sharp contrast to what normally happens to less developed nations. When suffering from financial distress they normally would suffer from malnutrition and instead start losing weight.
One of the biggest factors causing this very curious behavior is the pricing structure for foods in the USA is very different compared to other countries. The US has benefited in huge economies of scale in farming and thus is actually able to provide animal proteins and staples are prices that are often cheaper than those available for fresh green vegetables. This is certainly true in supermarkets where shoppers can often get off-cuts of meat ground-up at prices as low as 99 cents per pound. It is impossible for supermarkets to offer these prices for fresh vegetables as they simply do not have the shelf life to enable the economies of scale to happen. In normal unindustrialized nations, it would be impossible to even imagine that meats can be cheaper then normal fresh vegetables or rice.
It is this imbalance in terms of pricing foods that have made Americans so obese for so many years. The problem is now that a lot of Americans are losing their jobs and are in financial distress, they are turning to foods which are of even lower quality in the hope that they can save money. These cheaper cuts of meat are often ones with low protein and are high in fat. The cheap staples like potatoes and rice have very high G.I (glycemic index) and are generally bad for you too. Combine these cheap foods and the bargain basement price for fizzy pop and sweets and you have the recipe for one of the worst diet programs on earth.
Just to make matters worst are the huge number of fast food restaurants and diners which offer some of the cheapest meals available. Although the immediate response would be to lower ones pickiness when it comes to food, having cheap meals at the diner of at fast food restaurants are extremely unhealthy. There will be a marked deterioration of your health through eating too much fatty meats and also not eating enough fresh green vegetables to provide vital nutrients like vitamins, fiber and anti-oxidants.
Although it might be a bit hard to swallow at first, just because you are in a financial bind doesnt mean that you should stinge on your food to the point of eating unhealthily. There are actually ways in which you can get fresh clean foods without having to pay very high prices. Naturally having fresh green vegetables is very important. You should always aim for freshness, leanness and fiber for the best combination diet. The best place to source fresh greens is to visit the farmers market in the early mornings so that you can get the best quality picks at reasonable prices. As for meats, local butchers can offer cuts that arent available in supermarkets and some can even offer them at very reasonable prices.
It is never a good idea to give up year health simply for the savings of a few dollars. The moral of the story is not to accept food that is cheap but of lower quality. If you look around you will be able to find foods that are both cheap and high quality. The only problem is that you must be willing to spend some time to look for the best foods available to you and your family. - 17273
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