I had no idea that almost all economic factors influence our food choices, and therefore our obesity. It is no coincidence that the majority of those obese come from the echelons of society; while in previous centuries it was the rich who were fat as a symbol of their wealth, now it is the poor who are fat as a symbol of the food they eat. Previously, being fat meant you were wealthy enough to be able to the amount of food it would take to get fat, and lead a lifestyle in which you wouldn't burn it off. Now, however, being fat leads towards the image of a tedious 9-5 job, and lots of McDonalds and burger king.
How does the economy influence this? As i posted earlier, these high gas prices will have an impact not only on how much, if any, people can spend on birthday presents, but also where the majority of their calories come from. Where as before it might have been from ralphs or vons (which are by no means the bar for excellency), there will now be more of them coming from burger king and kfc, as the lower price of food becomes a necessity in order to balance a budget.
TIP
Health Behavior News Service, "Fast Food Density in Poor and Black neighborhoods..." Ann Quigley
1 comment:
And it's no surprise that eating disorders -- like anorexia and bulimia -- are almost exclusively a problem in affluent subgroups of societies, where plenty of food is available. Being thin is a virtue for the rich and powerful. "You can't be too rich or too thin," as the saying goes. Sad.
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