So when people talk about weight like it's a simple matter of people just being too freaking lazy to get their heads out of the Big Mac trough, I get irritated. Yes, personal irresponsibility can play a big role in weight, but there are enough OTHER factors - poverty, depression, mental illness, the medications used to TREAT mental illness, the genetic tendency towards gaining weight easily, medical conditions - that I feel rather intensely that sweeping statements about how fat people are that way because they are big lazy weak slobs are, you know, WRONG and founded on a sturdy platform of unshakable entitlement.
Yes, most people would probably be healthier AND slimmer if they gave up eating like a bunch of deranged Roman emperors, but eating healthily right now requires a whole bunch of things - the time required to prepare nutritious foods (and I don't care what anyone says, it takes a LOT of time to eat healthily. A LOT. We make a lot of things right from scratch and it takes up MUCH of my day.), enough money to buy a varied amount of vegetables and fruits and whole grains and Omega-3 eggs and skim milk and free-range meats and do not TELL me that these things are inexpensive. They are not. We do not buy junk or prepared foods, we do the VAST amount of our eating having home-made, from-scratch meals, and do you KNOW what we spend on groceries every week for the five of us? READY?
$250.
All right, we have to buy a LOT of gluten-free stuff, and that's made - apparently - of solid gold and prepared in factories by teams of elite elves, to judge the cost of stuff. But still. That is the cost, pretty much, of a week of healthy, varied eating, and it is a HIGH cost. If you think that $1000 a month is within the reach of anyone... geez, I wish I was you. You must be RICH. And meanwhile, I know families who have one meal a day and it's generally canned stew with a bunch of bread to eek it out and that is not enough and they have fat kids, despite the fact that the children are literally half-starved. So go on, lecture them about how their kids should be eating organic vegetables and less saturated fats. Go ahead and be smug about how easy it is to feed a family healthily on "a budget."
edited to say: Okay, a few people are saying that it is possible to feed children healthily on a tight budget, and of course it is IF you have access to grocery stores that have low-priced, varied produce AND if you have the ability to do some creative meal-planning. One of my friends lives on my monthly grocery budget and she and her kids have a great diet. HOWEVER - go a few towns over and there's a town full of people on social assistance, no cars and NO grocery store in town, just a convenience store that sells high-priced canned foods, white bread, fried chicken and few fruits or vegetables. Go up north a few hours and everything is flown in, milk costs $15 a bag and there isn't any produce all winter. Being poor and eating healthily in either of those places becomes impossible. Do not presume that your easy access to things is universal.
Then there is also the fact that food does not take place in some magical vacuum. I know a lot of women who would eat much healthier if it was just them, but they're married and the man they're married to expects big chunks of meat and big mounds of potatoes at every meal and would cause them a lot of actual grief if they made some healthy vegetarian meal for dinner. Maybe, like me, you're married to a sensitive modern guy and you can't imagine what "a lot of grief" might look like. We are privileged.
So the discussion around weight, let me state calmly, is tainted all the way around by class issues and a lack of compassion towards other people's suffering. If you cannot imagine what it's like to be cripplingly mentally ill, if you cannot imagine what it's like to have crying hungry children and only enough money to feed them high calorie, high fat foods, if you cannot imagine illnesses that make your body betray you and gain weight despite your best efforts, then perhaps you should avoid publicly writing about weight and food issues, since what you think you know is tainted by privilege and by being utterly sheltered and what you say and write causes already vulnerable people more pain.
59 comments:
My sister and I had a huge fight this week. Not about fat, though we do discuss that subject ad nauseum as well. Our fight really boiled down to a difference in experiences (I am at home, married, with kids; she is single, working, no kids) and expectations (why CAN'T I just drop everything, load up the kids and drive 45 minutes in rush hour traffic, during the baby's nap time to bring her some keys since she locked herself out of her house? I am HEARTLESS and selfish. And why can't SHE have gotten herself a key-hider and given keys to local people and come up with a solution to the lock out problem after the LAST time I had to pile the kids in my car and bail her out. She is CARELESS and selfish.)
Lesson: don't comment on another person's situation unless you have either a) walked in their shoes; or b) are able to view things for their perspective.
Bringing this tangent around to the topic at hand: I hope my doctor reads your post before I have a physical in two weeks so that he doesn't yell at me about my weight.
AMEN!!! Thank you. You're completely right.
Amen.
Preach it, Beck. I wholeheartedly agree. Besides, if eating healthy and losing weight were so simple and effortless, wouldn't we all have done it by now?
I agree, people tend to make sweeping assumptions about people's weight without knowing underlying issues. It is hard to eat healthfully - I make a lot of things from scratch and holy crap it does take up a large portion of my day.
What I don't like is when someone comments on an obese person's body, just because they "care" or are "worried about" that person. That person knows that he/she is obese. That person knows that he/she has an issue with weight. That person does not need it pointed out by a third party.
Amen! Eating well is expensive, and it does take a large amount of time. Not to mention the fact that all of us aren't created equal. Some are short, some are tall, some are think, some are thin. I, personally, think God likes variety!
I love to come here for a healthy dose of sanity and perspective once in awhile. It feels good.
Hah! My word verification is flingst.
I tend to write/tweet/preach about healthy food a LOT (too much) but I totally agree with you on this. It takes so much time, energy and money to compile a healthy menu for the week. Some of us are in a season where we can do that, many are not, and even more are not able. Coupons? When was the last time you saw coupons for veggies? How about coupons for the gluten-free foods? But I can buy four loaves of soft processed white bread at the local day-old bake shop for a buck! What's going to be the most logical thing a stressed-out, exhausted, working-poor mother does? Go home and grind the wheat? Feed the chickens flax seed? I think not.
Thank you for the self-reflection. (hanging head, wondering how many times I've probably offended some...)
I live in an area that is largely farming communities, yet the grains that are produced here are used to feed livestock..It is very difficult to shop local or organic. There is a brief window of time in the summer where some small farmer's markets,etc. pop up, but most of the year you have to rely on chain grocery stores and do what you can. And seriously, store brand 2% white milk for $2-something a gallon, or NEARLY $8 A GALLON for organic milk. We have four kids, and we try to cook as much homemade as we can..we go through a lot of milk. And we like to heat our house and have running water, so we have to go with what's reasonable. And that's expensive enough.
I also know families who eat way less well and have very overweight children...but if you can only afford canned soup, frozen chicken nuggets, and other overly processed sodium laden foods, you're going to do what you have to to eat. I guess what I'm saying is I get you. Totally. Preach on, Beck!
I totally agree that there are class issues involved in health & obesity, "food deserts" in many urban areas, barriers to getting produce into poorer areas, etc. And yes, psychiatric drugs have nasty side effects, including the weight thing. I definitely think we could all use a dose of gentleness and understanding when dealing with weight issues, our own and others. I've heard people talk about how weight discrimination is the last acceptable bias in our culture, and that is pretty ugly.
I don't feel like I see a lot of holier-than-thou posturing about healthy eating/cooking, though. Most of the healthy recipe blogs or famous food writers or whatnot that I read talk about how counter-cultural it is to eat a healthy, whole-foods diet and how much knowledge and deliberateness it takes. They try to make it accessible and doable, but I don't feel like many of them are saying, "Phft! It's EASY! You would only not live this way if you are STUPID." Maybe I am just lucky in that I haven't run into a lot of judgmental food types.
Bravo. Rants by Beck are my favorite...you say it so well.
I was just telling a friend I would not be watching Food INC, because we can't afford to dramatically switch to an all-organic all-healthy diet and I'd rather not feel terrible about it. We do just fine and I'm surely not complaining, we have plenty to eat all the time, but healthy eating IS expensive, no matter how you look at it.
I completely agree with you, Beck. Food has been a huge issue in our house because I have kids with sensitivities. Our line is that we don't go on vacation, we eat instead. Which is mostly true, our vacation expenses tend to be just a few hundred dollars a year (if that) but our food costs are more than $1000 a month.
And we are so blessed to be able to choose.
eating healthy DOES take a lot of work and time. i've slowly overcoming my fear of yeast and now making bread every week. it is no-kneed but it still takes time that many people do not have.
Boy do I REALLY LOVE THIS POST! Thanks Beck. Well said. I happen to like your rants since you say things I am not bold enough to say. Go girl!
*applauds*
Wow! Well said and I agree.
Wow, though. I'm wondering what happened/what you read/what someone said that made you write this. And I hope they read this.
I still remember being shocked upon seeing an old high school acquaintance several years ago. She who was petite and athletic in high school was suddenly carrying a lot of extra weight. Then I learned she was on lithium for bipolar. I had no idea that was a side effect until that moment.
We spend a small fortune on groceries every week, too, even though I make almost everything from scratch. I spent $7 on a small bag of grapes this weekend. I could have bought 3 bags of on-sale Doritos. Sheesh.
I agree some. I agree that there are many reasons that people gain weight, and I know that medications and medical conditions are just two of them.
But -
But - I just don't buy it that it is too expensive to eat well. I just don't. We are responsible for our choices. A loaf of white, disgusting wonder bread costs the same as Demptsters whole grain. Chips cost $2.99 a bag, and apples cost $.99 a lb. Throwing a sweet potato in the microwave takes just as much time as heating a can of zoodles. Boiling water for macaroni and cheese takes just as long as steaming broccoli.
I now tend to spend a lot on groceries, too, because buying really good food for my family is a huge priority for me, and I can afford to spend what I do. But when I was on mat leave and my husband lost his job and I had a budget of $50 for the groceries for the week, we ate healthy meals. And my only other point is that I work - full time out of the house. And then I cook dinner for my family of four, almost always from scratch, almost every single night. Because that's how important their now and future health is to me.
End rant. (oh, and I'm thinking you have read Raj Patel's Stuffed & Starved, but if you haven't, this is your call to action.)
I made a very nice, home-made dinner for my family tonight. Everyone cried (except my husband).
I quit.
Yes! I really wonder why it is that the cheapest food is the worst for us. I mean, I know I read the whole long explanation in a book, but apparently it didn't stick. Where I live, white bread DOES cost less than whole grain, but will I buy it? No. I hear moms brag about how much they saved with coupons on their groceries, but I cannot find for the life of me any good coupons for apples, broccoli, gluten-free pasta, yogurt without all the gross additives, free range meat, etc. In other words, the stuff I buy.
We are on a tight budget, like you, and we spend about what you do, once you adjust for American dollars. Thanks for making me feel better about what a chunk of our budget goes to food!
Agreed, of course, about not judging based on appearance. FOR SURE.
i think i love you
I don't buy the whole poverty = forced fat. My Grandmother had 10 siblings during the depression and they ate beans and grew a vegetable garden. Beans are cheap and easy to prepare. I know it sucks to pretty much eat beans every day, but my point is that it is NOT cheaper to buy processed food, it is actually way more expensive. I think there might be a sliding scale on the term "healthy eating" here though, so what do I know. I just find it depressing to assume that it is impossible to eat well when you are poor (i wouldn't argue that in places where there is NO food and NO government programs to help purchase that food). I'm betting it can be done. Maybe we should have a food challenge to test my thesis? It was done in the 20's can we do it in the 10's? Disclaimer: I"m still not willing to raise/pluck my own chickens.
I have been holding off writing about this topic on my blog because I have too much to say and also don't want like confrontation. Most of my opinions came from this blog:
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/
I don't agree with all her opinions nor am interested in all the topics she covers, but her "Obesity Paradox" series (listed quite a ways down on the right sidebar) is, I think, a must-read to anyone interested in what science really has to say about obesity. The term "Obesity Paradox" comes from the fact that quite a few studies don't support society's deep-seated belief that obesity is bad for you. And the studies get misreported constantly because of bias on the part of so-called science reporters. (Oh, look, there went my blood pressure.)
P.S. My own larger-than-I-used-to-be size is definitely related to pregnancies and chronic health issues (which were almost certainly exacerbated by my pregnancies) and although I'd love to be slender, I'm also thrilled to have my kids and to be alive in a mostly-functioning body.
Great Post!
I am standing now, applauding you.
Well said. We are so lucky to be able to afford healthy food, and I work from home so I can take the time to do some cooking. It makes a big difference, and I do not kid myself: we are LUCKY.
Rant on, girl. You have hit the proverbial nail on the head - nay, you have clobbered it!
Beck! This is such a good post!
I agree that no one should be judging anyone else about weight issues. I am slim by most standards and, I confess, I don't have to work hard at it. Nor does my husband, so my kids are not likely to have weight issues either. Lucky them. I read many blogs about women trying to lose weight by following diets, starting exercise programs and even undergoing surgery and I feel for them. I know that their eating/exercise habits can't be that much worse than mine. And yet, they struggle and I don't.
Separating the eating healthfully matter from weight, I think a person's socio-economic plays a huge factor. Access to reasonably priced food is one issue, as is the knowledge of how to prepare food from scratch. I work full-time and still prepare healthy from-scratch meals every day. My weekly grocery bill is less than half of yours (we have no special diets and I live considerably south of you). Luckliy, my mom taught me about nutrition, food preparation and organization skills. I acknowledge that not everyone got such an education. Again, lucky me.
Oh honey, I understand. It is SO MUCH CHEAPER for us to buy the crap food than to buy fresh and bake fresh. And I TRY. And we DO have access to lots of choices of grocery stores. But the money isn't there, so our choices are to either buy 1000 calories of fresh produce for X amount of dollars or 3000 calories for X amount of dollars. Sometimes the choice is made for me when I don't even have X to spend...
For the people who don't have fresh produce available all the time though, I say FREEZE IT! Freeze the fruit in the summer when it's cheap and use it for fruit drinks in the winter. It helps us fill in the gaps for our diets without costing too much.
And $250 a week?!? Girl. Wow. That specialized diet stuff is really costly... We try to exist on $50-$75 a week for a family of 5. It's hard, but it's necessary.
If I've learned one thing as I've aged it is that unless I've walked a mile in those shoes I have no right to judge. I've been on the receiving end of medication-induced weight gain and I've learned a lot from the experience.
Love this post THIIIIIIIIS MUCH.
Yes.
Let's just not make assumptions about people and their problems. All fat people are not lazy. All poor people have not made bad choices. All rich people are not happy. Etc.
as someone who has lived for most of my life in either a poor rural or poor urban environment, i am really sympathetic to this post. You may be interested to hear that a lot of academic sorts are also very interested in this--the way that the "obese" are this new sort of category that it's okay to descriminate against in various ways, and how the self righteousness surrounding weight allows us to veil a lot of systemic injustices against poor people and (particularly) people of color. In the states it is never acceptable to say (publicly), "black people just need to be more responsible." but you can say a lot of things about "the obese," which often means the same thing.
anyway, this is why it is REALLY IMPORTANT for Americans to pay attention to things like the Farm Bill, and why I'm very sympathetic to people like Michael Pollan, who is really commited to spreading awareness about how the American gov't is basically subsidizing agribusiness's production of many of the products that are producing parts of this obesity epidemic. As someone from a very poor rural community in which people eek out a living from often not very responsible agricultural practices, I know these issues are complex. but, again. Farm Bill, people. Farm Bill.
this is old, but interesting--you'll like (i think) the comparisons to the high rate of alcoholism in the 1820s. At least, I did, but maybe I am just nerdy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/magazine/12WWLN.html?pagewanted=1
I agree. Nothing exists in a vacuum. The world would be a better place if "those of the strong and definitive opinions" would acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, they could be wrong. Someone's experience might be different. Everyone does not live their particular life and that is ok.
Yes, a better place.
Amen Beck! I have considered writing this same rant a number of times because for some reason society (and especially the news sources that fan the flames) has decided it is okay to blame fat people for all the ills of the world. I stumbled into this very argument with a newly befriended travel companion on my recent vacation and I was afraid I wouldn't last the trip with a guy who was so damn judgmental. Especially a single guy trying to kick a smoking habit who drank more than the other 4 people in the group combined. I would also add that there are times when weight and eating healthy and fitness can be your highest priority and there are other times when things like supporting your family, getting an education, raising kids, stabilizing your mental health, etc. take priority and weight takes a back seat. Thanks for writing this.
Great post!
In the last year, I’ve moved towards eating whole foods (organic, whenever possible) and cooking from scratch. However, I’m very aware that the only reason I can do so is because I’m single, childless, and middle class. I haven’t always been able to afford this, and I may not always be able to afford this.
With the US, we have the double problem of that not only are the working class and unemployed unable to afford good food, but these groups don’t have access to good, affordable healthcare. And cheap food will make you sick, sooner or later.
I am all for Michael Pollan and other people who push organic, whole foods, but the simple fact is not everyone can afford it.
There are, however, some things about the Western diet that are changeable and should be changed. Soft drink habits, for example. No drinks Diet Coke because they can’t afford water (or at least, I hope there aren’t locations with that poor of a water supply anyhow . . .) so switching to water or milk is a logical and healthy option. And even with the appeal of a dollar menu, moving away from a fast food dependence should be a logical option for most people (unless their time constraints are downright crazy).
To the commenters who said that cooking from scratch is cheaper than buying processed foods, that depends on what you’re talking about. Sure, frozen meals are more expensive than homemade, but what about things like Raman noodles? Raman noodles are what one eats if they are really struggling.
Well said, Beck.
We try to eat pretty well for the most part. We do lots of all natural/organic/local things. But we do eat meat. I could easily go without, but my Hubs is of the kind you mention who would start sobbing if there wasn't a generous hunk of meat and potatoes on his plate most nights....I am trying to incorporate one or two vegetarian dinners each week, and even then I get the stink eye.
I'd venture to say our grocery bill is similar to yours, but we don't have to have the gluten-free stuff.....
And my last comment was made with me being a bit behind the times on the latest US healthcare reform news. How embarrassing . . .
I wrote a long comment, then blogger ate it.
To sum up.
Food where I live is amazingly cheap. 4 lbs of oranges for $1 cheap. $2 loaves of sprouted grain bread.
I spend $75 or less/week on my family of 5. We are blessed to live where we do.
People where I live, very obese, very many of them, esp. children. They have the exact same options as I do, and access to the exact same prices and food.
But instead they eat junkie snacks and fast food and convenience foods, which are also very cheap here. Amost as cheap as living on beans and rice and vegetables can be. We eat meat when I can buy it for less than $1/pound, which is often. Nuts are expensive, but sprouts are better for you, and really cheap to make yourself.
(beans from scratch in a crockpot take no real time at all to make. I rarely bake, my from scratch meals take less than 30 minutes usually.)
I have met people who have never seen anyone cook a simple meal before. No one did it in their house, they never learned how.
I don't believe that all of these people can have circumstances beyond their control that cause their weight problems. Most are simply ignorant.
If they wanted to and had the education they could eat better, on what they are spending now, and improve their health and quality of life. So I think it is important to educate people on diet and cooking and shopping, because where I live, and what I see, that is the main factor in people's health.
What a lot of good points you make here, Beck. Class is such a huge issue in nutrition. I used to see it all the time when I was a teacher. And personally for me, time is, too. I "cook" Trader Joe's frozen food 2-3 times a week, out of convenience with two little kids at home. Luckily, TJ's frozen is pretty "healthy" compared to some. But I do realize I pay more for it. How fortunate my family is to be able to afford it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I agree with all of this, especially the part about not living in a vacuum. How much easier so many things would be if we did.
Great post Beck. GREAT POST.
I'm finally dealing with an abusive childhood. When the crap hit the fan I GAINED 15 lbs in a two month period after slowly gaining 20 lbs over the previous year while I was trying to repress it all. I've lost 28 lbs of that unhealthy gain so far. I can attest to mental illness making people gain weight - even on healthy food. Stress hormones make you gain fat around your organs. I've lost the weight by taking lots of supplements to lower my cortisol levels and an antianxirety med, not by dieting
I live in a veritable fruit bowl (Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia - land of orchards) and moved here from the Ontario Quebec border (Chelsea Quebec) Extreme privilege to a true have not province.
It's been interesting because it totally changed my perception around weight and access to good clean healthy food. I've become a real proponent of accessible CSAs (cause guess what, family farmers and their families are POOR!)
Good post, beck. However, I don't think poverty=unhealthy eating, though. In many countries in Europe some of the poorest people eat the healthiest--in Greece, for instant. I don't think poor means having to consume large amount sof processed foods. Unfortunately, buying these types of foods is easier, and many people feel overwhelmed at the thought of having to purchase fresh foods. I also think Americans consume WAY too much meat, and this is a large factor in how unhealthy so many people are. I also think that eating healthy doesn't/shouldn't take time--we are just led to believe it, because of the way food is marketed in grocery stores.
And of course there are always many sides to why people might struggle with their weight--this is such a good point you make.
One day I'll be brave enough to write about it, but I'm learning an awful lot about the links between food + stress + anxiety + comfort + perfectionism + guilt + thrift + I could go on and on and on.
Fat and food are pretty complicated things.
"It is never cheap to live otherwise than as everybody else does, and... the so-called 'simple life' is beyond the means of the poor."
George Bernard Shaw
The more things change, the more they stay the same! People will always find a way to make themselves feel better about themselves - at the expense of others. It's a given.
I couldn't get past the first paragraph of the NYT article someone referenced, because it was full of classic examples of the kinds of false or at least highly unlikely premises the press are constantly feeding us:
"America's ''obesity epidemic,'' arguably the most serious public-health problem facing the country."
This is very arguable indeed--my husband read that on average Americans are 5 lbs heavier than 50 years ago. To me that doesn't seem epidemic nor horrible. Furthermore, some studies show that heavier people have better survival rates after a serious illness than do very thin people. (See the "Obesity Paradox" series I referenced above.)
"Three of every five Americans are now overweight"
Several years ago the Body Mass Index was revised, such that many people previously considered normal weight were suddenly in the obese category (creating an instant artificial epidemic).
"And some researchers predict that today's children will be the first generation of Americans whose life expectancy will actually be shorter than that of their parents."
This is highly unlikely given that life expectancies have continuously gone upward, and also because peoples' health practices on average are not nearly as heinous as the press is constantly claiming.
P.S. If I'm not mistaken, it's also true that Americans are taller on average than they were 50 years ago (which nobody's concerned about).
I heart you!
I think it comes down to understanding that not everyone's world looks like ours. We often don't know the back story. Time would be better spent in learning the story and doing what we can to help rather than judging.
I loved this post. For those of you who are commenting that in some areas it is the same price to eat healthy as unhealthy and such, you are missing the point. The point is, if you see an obese person, how do you know what their situation is? How do you know if they are on medications that cause weight gain or just aren't eating healthy? You don't. You can't. So don't judge. Sure, some people are over weight due to bad choices or not being educated, but not ALL of them. THAT is the point of this post, to point out that the circumstances behind weight gain vary from person to person and not every overweight person is just ignorant and/or lazy. Choices vary too from place to place. In our area, white bread is at least $1 cheaper than whole grain. It may be the same where you live, but that isn't the case for everywhere.
That said, I'm lucky to live in an area where a lot of people farm and keep livestock, so farmers' markets are everywhere and produce and even meat are cheap compared to other places. I am LUCKY to be able to feed my family healthy food on a tight budget. We are lucky that we have things like that available to us in our area. I also live in an area where people tend to grow up eating at home more than they do eating out. So a lot of people grow up knowing how to cook and prepare simple meals for their families. This is not always the case, it varies on where you live.
Thank you for this. I get so frustrated by the commentary about weight and obesity. Yes. I know I'm fat. I have tried with varying success to lose weight. It has almost all gone back on. I don't eat out often (once a month?). I have also eaten only fresh veggies for lunch every day for weeks and not lost a pound. Medications do play a huge role in weight. So does body type.
I buy only 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread and it is expensive! At more than $3 US per loaf it is a huge dent in our food bill because my kids take sandwiches almost every day for lunch at school.
I wish I could afford fresh fruits and veggies all the time but in the winter it is often out of reach. We plant our own garden in the summer but that usually only gives us a month or two of produce.
Not to mention the price of gas to get to and from the stores. Argh.
One thing that bugs me - following on from the assumption that fat people are lazy and if they just ate better and exercised more, there is the assumption about people who are obese or overweight (especially women) that they are lazy in all areas of their life. She doesn't eat well; therefore, she could never be the teacher/receptionist/lawyer/whatever we are looking for.
I loved this post as well. It gave me a lot to think about. We also spend $250 a week on groceries and make almost all of our food from scratch...I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong! I feel better now :).
I definitely agree with you on many points. DH constantly wants us to cut our grocery budget, but that darn produce costs a ton!
And I agree with the sweeping generalizations too.
We so easily fall into laying blame and making assumptions because somehow it makes us feel better about ourselves, whether we realize that or not.
Eating organic and grain fed in my area is super expensive. It does make a crazy difference. And having a dayhome with 6 kids and 2 teenagers at home makes it impossible. That's not to say I don't try to make as healthy as possible choices. If I find a deal on organic that is my choice but if I can't then I choose the next best. I'm lucky I have access to "fresh" fruits and veggies. I know many don't. And don't get me started on the media and how they manipulate public opinion. I might just rant.
Great post Beck, giving us lots to think about.
Wow, Beck. Excellent post, and I'm looking forward to your new website.
Ugh. The food I wouldn't have in the house at all if I didn't have children or my husband... I have very little self control when I'm tired and stressed, and I eat the junk that gets brought in. Dreadful.
And inner cities ... those convenience stores stock almost nothing in terms of fresh produce... people have no idea how hard it is to get fruit and vegetables when you are poor and live in a city and/or don't have transportation.
Damn this was a great rant! You're totally on the money with this. I didn't realize until very recently that so many meds cause weight gain. I hate that there are probably women out there who could really use the help of an anti- anxiety or depressant and they are turning away because they don't want to gain any weight. It's all a sad state of affairs, isn't it?
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