Opinion : The cost of eating healthy

Dr Nunez, a brilliant womens health researcher, gave a great speech about health issues to my class today. There is one assertion in her lecture that I have to take issue with, however. This is the idea the the current economic incentive is for people to eat unhealthy foods, ie. fatty processed foods are cheaper than healthy items (fruits and veggies, etc).

This idea is pushed and reinforced by popular media, and especially retailers like Whole Foods, who clearly profit from it (generally by marking up prices on healthy items to increase their retail margin). This idea is also inferred based on epidemiological research showing that more poor people are overweight. (which is what I believe Dr. Nunez was referring to) Is it true though? Like so many other issues, the reality does not live up to the hype.

Take for instance my recent trip to the Reading Terminal market. A week's worth of fruits and veggies costs about $8. Apples were 59 cents /lb. , banannas were 39 cents/lb., and oranges were a quarter each. On the way out, I stopped to get a Philly cheese steak and some soda, total cost: $8.50. I was surprised that one unhealthy sandwich cost more than a week's worth of fruit. Also compare the fruit prices to red meat (2.99/lb and up), cheese (3.99/lb and up) and chocolate (8.99/lb and up). These prices are not much different from stores nearby such as Trader Joe's or Wegmans. Also at Trader Joes, fruit jerky bars at the counter (49 cents, I am eating one as I write this) are cheaper than chocolate bars (69 cents) . In Wegmans, the enriched wheat bread costs the same as the processed sugary white one. In Philadelphia at least, it seems to be much cheaper to eat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables than junk foods. While certain types of healthy food (anything sold at whole foods) certainly costs a lot, Food prices and economics do not account for the reason that poor people have unhealthy diets.

Now I can't resist speculating on why poorer people would eat less healthy against their best interests. I suspect it has primarily to do with a lack of education among this demographic. When you don't know whats best for you, you will probably just take what tastes good. It may seem logical to pay more for foods that taste better, and if you are not concerned/educated about your health, you will make poor choices. Clearly advertising and fast food are contributing. I also suspect that there is a lack of access to healthy foods for poor individuals, as supermarkets tend to avoid impoverished areas (although both Trader Joes and the Wegmans near me border bad neighborhoods) It is easier to make bad choices when you are only faced with bad options.
A final reason for obesity among poor people may simply be a lack of self control. Quite frankly, if these people were more motivated and disciplined, they probably wouldn't be that poor in the first place. Of course public health researchers would never accept that reason because it shifts the blame to the people themselves, and for some reason, being poor alleviates personal responsibility...but that is another rant for another time....