Today in my social policy class we watched Food Inc. and during it I was reminded of something that struck me as odd the very first time I watch this documentary. During the scene where the Hispanic family is going through the fast food drive thru, the mother made a comment "We didn't know that this food was unhealthy."
Ummm...stop.
Both parents spoke with no accent, so I'm going to assume that they are not immigrants. How do you grow up in America not knowing that a McDonalds hamburger is unhealthier than apples and peas. It got me thinking, this family and many others like them, are not victims of a food industry that favors fast food. They are victims of a nation that is not teaching them the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
The average American family of 4 in 2011 received $489 in food stamps a month. $489. A month. There is no reason then for you to be only eating fast food, and not getting fruits and veggies. Even if they are not eligible, which they probably are if fast food is all they can afford, you can afford fruits and veggies. You just have to learn how to budget and how to cook. They claim to not have the time, which leads me to believe they should be receiving some form of governmental assistance.
Yes, we live in a nation where fast food is cheaper than fruits and veggies. And that is a tragedy. I wish every time I went to the grocery store that fruits and veggies were cheaper. But you make it work. It is more of a tragedy to me that we live in a nation where people do not know how to budget, and where they do not know how to eat fruit and veggies without breaking the bank.
Ummm...stop.
Both parents spoke with no accent, so I'm going to assume that they are not immigrants. How do you grow up in America not knowing that a McDonalds hamburger is unhealthier than apples and peas. It got me thinking, this family and many others like them, are not victims of a food industry that favors fast food. They are victims of a nation that is not teaching them the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
The average American family of 4 in 2011 received $489 in food stamps a month. $489. A month. There is no reason then for you to be only eating fast food, and not getting fruits and veggies. Even if they are not eligible, which they probably are if fast food is all they can afford, you can afford fruits and veggies. You just have to learn how to budget and how to cook. They claim to not have the time, which leads me to believe they should be receiving some form of governmental assistance.
Yes, we live in a nation where fast food is cheaper than fruits and veggies. And that is a tragedy. I wish every time I went to the grocery store that fruits and veggies were cheaper. But you make it work. It is more of a tragedy to me that we live in a nation where people do not know how to budget, and where they do not know how to eat fruit and veggies without breaking the bank.
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