That was my first thought, too. I've been unemployed (disabled) for three years now, and with food prices continuing to go up, I've had less money to spend on produce (though I'll make quite the sacrifice to keep my supply of Fuji apples abundant!) because what little I have has to go towards other expenses. I used to buy all my produce at the cheaper farmer's markets, but they're far away, and with gas prices being so high, I can't afford to go there every week anymore. And produce goes bad quickly, so it's not like you can buy a lot at once and stockpile it.

Those apples, by the way, are very pricey. Paid $6.01 for four non-organic ones yesterday. You want to know why obesity is so high among the poor? There's your reason.

It's true - and unfortunate - that fast food and highly processed food products are cheaper than fruits and vegetables. However, what's also true is that many who complain about the prices of natural whole foods still find the money to pay for premium TV channels, streaming entertainment services and mobile voice and data plans. You make your choices.

@Megidolaon I don't know where you live, but I have never found anything in a farmer's market, that cost less than I could buy it in a grocery store. I like farmer's markets and I do buy there, but nothing is ever cheaper.

I eat what I want, when I want and I’m just fine. The reason for my well being is moderation in all things. It’s incredible how such a simple concept eludes so many people.

Heck yeah! Shopping at a local grocer compared to driving to Whole Foods just to get some green peppers is a good alternative :) I love doing this on my way home from work. I save gas AND money.

Its hard to eat these vegetables when they perish in the refriderator and thats money out the door. In Europe people shop every day or every other day for produce and they buy from local farmers. And the refriderators need to be larger for these vegetables if you are going to get the daily recommended vegetables..especially for a large family.

It's really not hard to go to the grocery store and think "Okay... am I going to eat 3 apples or 4 apples this week?" I shop for a 6 year old, a 14 year old and two over 50 year olds that I live with, and I know how to choose between the 3 apples or 4 apples. It's all about knowing what you're going to eat and planning ahead.

Another reason people over buy produce and products is because they don't eat before grocery shopping -_-;; Never go to a grocery store hungry, you'll leave with 1.5x more than you need. Also, coupons rock. I spend some time each week cutting coupons when I'm watching my TV shows or helping my niece with homework.

I really hope people realize how easy it is to save money and eat healthy at the same time. You don't need to shop at Whole Foods to eat healthy :/ Though their cheeses are delicccious.

That may be partly true. Things like pasta are a lot cheaper than fresh fruit and more filling. If one is stretching a budget, this is how you do it. And, as pointed out, too much fresh fruits and veggies ends up being thrown out unless you shop every day or two.

That being said, I don't really buy the premise of the story anyway. The stats they were citing weren't that much of a variation. I think they would say that the differences are "statistically insignificant." Plus, they never seem to ask me or anyone else I know when the come up with this stuff. Do they ask anyone else here?

Also, anybody know what "serving" is? Do you really think that the response that people give is the same as what is intended by the questions? I would be surprised if they asked the question "how many bowls of cereal do you eat a week?" that people will give the "correct" response. Most everyone I know eats more than what is considered a "bowl." Kind of like when someone has a pop or a bag of chips. For quite a while a "serving" was considered 8 ounces by some pop companies. Anyone really think they are getting a serving and a half when they drink a 12 ounce can? Or 2 servings in a grab bag of chips?

@witchrunner - one can certainly debate whether the differences are statistically significant and the population samples are truly representative and one can question the reliability of the data. I also question whether a one-year change is in any way indicative of a longer-term trend. Note, though, that statisticians understand such challenges as well and attempt to adjust for them. However, to me the real concern is the longer term trends which include rising rates of both obesity and malnutrition and a growing epidemic of lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. While statistical correlations do not prove causation, the evidence that our eating habits have been getting worse and we are getting sicker as a result seems pretty compelling to me.

You need to consider that different states have different growing seasons. Unless you want your home overrun with pots of corn everywhere because you have winter 10 months out of the year, good luck.

Well now, I think we can agree that corn which grows 1 ear per (rather large) stalk is probably not the best choice for an indoor garden. But arugula, tomatoes and eggplant grow well inside. Root veggies can be grown on porches and also keep well throughout the winter, Somehow, before the advent of Mickey D's (or even refrigerators or freezers) people managed to feed themselves throughout the winter. Even in places where it gets very cold. It is the lack of will, not lack of resources that keeps us making bad choices.

I'm not disagreeing with growing indoors/outdoors, what I am saying is that what grows in Texas doesn't grow as well in Alaska, even if it is indoors. Not just temperature but humidity and availability of sunshine as well. My MIL has tried growing indoors and either she doesn't have the green thumb or it's the environment. From what I recall of frontier living, people ate salted meats and root vegetables. Gets to be tiresome even if it does sustain a body.

Well root veggies work and salted meats can be made healthy by soaking the salt out. Probably both are better than fast food. My response was to bumpitybump who seemed to be arguing that healthy eating was not possible because of increased food prices.

Bah. I listen to what my grandmother always told me. "Eat what you want, but never overdo it, or else you'll end up like your grandpa." Pan left to grandpa, 400lb WWII vetern who can't breathe except on a respirator.

I eat ice cream and delicious foods, just in moderation. I was scared to death of my grandfather so I promised I'd never be like him and turn into a walking blobbbbbbb.

scottyusa, you can get confused and give up if you WANT to.

fresh fruits and vegetables, less meat and fat, whole grains. exercise. that's it.

mistakes and indiscretions are inconsequential if they are a small part of your lifestyle.

maximize the beneficial, minimize the unhealthy. your vitality in your later years depends on it. unless you are a fan of the late dr jack kevorkian, those later years might be full of regret. and jack's alternative is not a good outcome if you could have done something to prevent is.

Eat what your forefathers ate. Meat, vegetables, and fruit are what you need.

The posters here are making scottyusa's point ... too may contradictions, from the general public, and from government "authorities". There seem to be a dozen "only correct ways to eat". So, scottyusa is right, make your own choices, eat what seems reasonable. We know what is abosolutely bad for us, and we know what is good for us, and we know what is available to us and we know what we can afford, and there is no "once soulution works for all". But get your proteins, both simple and complex carbs, and keep fats to the good fats and to a minimum ... and find the best ratio that works for you according to what you need to strive for.

The most important thing one can do for one's health is to get adequate excercise and cardio excercise at least 3 times a week. Do that, and most of the other issues will take care of themselves.

@Slim_Pickens - really? There are no dairy or produce sections in your grocery store? What you'd find there may not compare with the offerings at a local farmers' market, but it's still far more healthful and nutritious that the "cheap crap" in the center of the store.

AND, how did it get here? Can I support local suppliers? If not, can I support small farmers in other locations vs. corporations?

@Patrook Goreng - yup, you can rant it up, whine about capitalism and the food business and wait for some system to emerge that will magically put healthful food in your refrigerator. Or you can start spending less money in the candy isle and more money in the produce section of your existing grocery store tomorrow. Your choice. And, no, I didn't get the point.

It's not really good. It has sugar in it. Sugar will kill you.

@Michael-3569177 - in other posts you tell us we should eat fruit. Fruits contain sugar. Are you trying to kill us?

Well said Patrook.

Nonsense. 100%. Once again we find people pointing their fingers at what they think is bad because they don't want to be truly progressive and come to a real solution.

What you're demanding is better food cheaper. Everyone wants everything cheaper but our being cheap is what got us to where we are. Don't blame the profits. Blame the greed of people who automatically reach for the cheaper product. These same people who complain that everything is so expensive are also paying more in fuel, maintenance and insurance costs on their SUVs than they have to, Buying cigarettes and alcohol,600 channels of demeaning televisions and every Pixar DVD to come out. They have to make decisions and they're unwilling to ante up when it comes to the expense of healthy living. If people made this decision the prices would come down and the junk food would go up due to lack of demand.

The real answer here lies in the hands of the people who buy the product. Stop asking for a solution and become a solution. Is it really that hard?

Skip the pasta. Flour is poison.

Flour is NOT poison...but a little goes a long way.

@Michael-3569177 -- Wow. Everything is trying to kill you, huh?

*White* flour is poison. Whole grain pasta has fiber, protein, and a bunch of other good things that get stripped out when producing white flour. Just needs to be used in moderation.

It's because you are a human being. It's in your genes. Survival living.

Yup. In the winter months, our ancestors, who didn't have refrigeration (or good refrigeration, anyway) and central heat had to have some way to help them stay warm and alive during the winter months. Fat gives you the energy to support your metabolism and keep from freezing. They hunted in the fall and winter months, same as most hunting seasons today, and relied on the fruits and veggies that would keep well to round out their meals. Animals do the same thing - deer eat as many high-calorie acorns as they can find and graze all they can in fall to make it through the lean months of winter.

We keep this up today, even though we have central heat and aren't all huddled around one hearth trying to stay warm. So we end up with an energy surplus we turn into fat.

The foods I crave aren't necessarily fatty, but I go on a huge carb binge all winter. Usually end up gaining between 10-15 lbs from the winter diet, but then I lose it all in the spring and summer.

Starchy foods provide a lot of calories, too. Also, vegetable that keep well unrefrigerated tend to be higher in starch than those that don't - think lettuce or broccoli versus potatoes and carrots. Grains and flour or meal don't go bad quickly, either. I crave both fat and carbs in winter, but could almost live on salads in the summer.

So MY tax dollars support you in the nursing home...doesn't make ME too happy! I assume you are just being sarcastic, however!

In case you or someone reading this are serious...ever taste a McDonald's hamburger patty without all the stuff on it? BLECH. I took one bite just to see, and haven't been able to choke down a quarter pounder since.

Well, there's a plan...why haven't you considered it before now?

@mathuin - I absolutely do not want the government to control what I eat. However, its current policies exacerbate a problem others have mentioned, namely, that calories from highly processed vaguely food-like substances of little nutritious value are far cheaper than those from healthful natural whole foods. And the treatment and management of lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease are enormously costly. I would argue that health care costs are at least as critical as some of the issues you mention, probably more so.

@Michael-356177 - what do you have against, say, whole grains, nuts and milk?

Fresh vegetables and fruits are not expensive. Boxed, canned, and processed foods are expensive & totally unhealthy. You need very little meat per day. Just don't buy anything else.

Frozen vegetables are cheap and healthy.

Eating is one of he the primary things we have to do to keep alive. And we should strive to do it well. Would you say you don't have time to sleep? We need to make time to eat in a healthy way.

@Kelly-536311 - there are certainly people who can't afford healthful food. But there are probably many more who could afford it but decide - whether consciously or not - that everything else they spend money on is more important than their health.

Seeds are cheap.