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Do you ever wonder if the media tries to find a way to connect everything to how overweight we are? The latest sign of the coming obesity apocalypse: the recession.
That's right. As our wallets get emptier, we start cutting back on
produce purchases and replacing them with cheaper, more calorie-dense,
processed foods.
The unfolding recession could inflate U.S. waistlines further as more people fall into hard times and seek cheaper food.
"The reality is that when you are income-constrained, the
first area you try to address is having enough calories in your diet.
And cheap sources of calories tend to be high in total fats and
sugars," said Eileen Kennedy, the dean of the Friedman School of
Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University outside Boston.
It may sound crazy, but I think there's some truth to this. Back
when I was struggling to get through college, I remember consciously
looking at labels and trying to literally get the most calories for my
buck. I discovered that with a mere $1.40 I could get a snack-size bag
of Cheetos and little package of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies
(that's right, dinner and dessert!) from the library's vending
machine -- looking back, I can't believe how often those 500 completely
empty calories passed for dinner.
To say that was unhealthy is an understatement. But that was what I
could afford to do at the time. In an economy like this, I'm sure that
there are lots of people in that same boat.
-- Cross-posted from The Next Rich Girl
