6 ms·

Literally every single poor person pictured is obese. That baby is almost certainly going to be overweight in a few years. I'm amazed this isn't a bigger issue

Literally every single poor person pictured is obese. That baby is almost certainly going to be overweight in a few years. I'm amazed this isn't a bigger issue politically. Nutrition is a huge driver of health inequality. In 50 years the obesity rate has quadrupled. A return to the eating habits of the 1960s is perhaps the greatest possible welfare achievement right now (in the US), with impact far larger than universal healthcare. And it doesn't need to cost anything.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> A return to the eating habits of the 1960s is perhaps the greatest possible welfare achievement right now (in the US), with impact far larger than universal healthcare. You are comparing a concrete policy with a policy outcome for which there is no even remote concept of a policy mechanism that would achieve it. > And it doesn't need to cost anything. Massive changes to behavior are not free; the changes in eating habits that happened since the 1969s were driven by a number of economic and other factors, and counteracting all those factors to drive people back to 1960s eating habits would not be cheap.
- mobilefriendly 9y ago
  Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition. First repeal subsidy programs for corn and sugar, in particular remove the U.S. import tariffs that create a market for high fructose corn syrup. Next end food stamp coverage for junk food and sugar drinks. Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese-- make them pay for the extra costs they are imposing on the system. Consider taxes on sugar drinks. Finally improve school lunch nutrition.
  - harryh 9y ago
    I would also add: - regulate advertisements for unhealthy foods, especially ads targeted at children - ban vending machines (and candy sales) on school campuses - implement sugar taxes similar to cigarette taxes
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition I didn't say there weren't. I said that there was no policy mechanism identified to acheive the goal of returning to 1960s eating habits. > Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese Especially in the case of Medicaid, which is a safety net program for the medically indigent, this is nothing short of murderous.
jnbiche 9y ago
To fix poverty among the poor, you'll have to do a whole lot more than just convince them to eat healthy: 1) Healthy food where I live is much more expensive than unhealthy food. I get that in SF and NYC, it's possible to buy such food at Asian grocers for a reasonable cost, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have an Asian grocer on their corner. So they'll need more money. 2) On a related note, many poor neighborhoods don't even have a grocery store within walking distance, and many poor Americans own no car. 3) Unless somehow the food is pre-cooked (unlikely), they'll need the time to prepare it. Many poor people work 2 jobs, and I know of some single mothers working 2 FT minimum-wage jobs. These are investment banker hours. They don't have time to cook. 4) Many poor people also don't have working stoves/ranges, just microwaves or hot plates. It's much harder to cook healthy food in microwaves, although it can be done. 5) The also need to learn how to cook new healthy foods, which isn't always easy. 6) Finally, and this is a big one, but it's very stressful to live life as a poor American. Many people both rich and poor stress eat, so that is another factor here. Anyway, not sure what you're suggesting, but if it's just that someone needs to tell those poor people to eat better, it's not always so easy. But I do agree with you it would be great if it were possible to work on some of the challenges above. 3)
- harryh 9y ago
  Re #4: 96.6% of US households below the poverty level have a working stove. https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/census-americans-poverty-typically-have-cell-phones-computers-tvs https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/censu...
  - jnbiche 9y ago
    A lot of people living in subsidized housing will have a stove, because Section 8 requires it from landlords. However, I know a lot of people who may be slightly above the poverty line who don't have a working stove. That included me for a while.
    - harryh 9y ago
      It would be very unusual for access to an appliance to decrease as income rises. Do you have any data to support that claim beyond your individual experience?
death_and_taxes 9y ago
Cheap access to truly healthy food would be the most amazing social program, and probably have outsized benefits for its cost.

dragonwriter 9y ago

> A return to the eating habits of the 1960s is perhaps the greatest possible welfare achievement right now (in the US), with impact far larger than universal healthcare. You are comparing a concrete policy with a policy outcome for which there is no even remote concept of a policy mechanism that would achieve it. > And it doesn't need to cost anything. Massive changes to behavior are not free; the changes in eating habits that happened since the 1969s were driven by a number of economic and other factors, and counteracting all those factors to drive people back to 1960s eating habits would not be cheap.

mobilefriendly 9y ago
Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition. First repeal subsidy programs for corn and sugar, in particular remove the U.S. import tariffs that create a market for high fructose corn syrup. Next end food stamp coverage for junk food and sugar drinks. Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese-- make them pay for the extra costs they are imposing on the system. Consider taxes on sugar drinks. Finally improve school lunch nutrition.
- harryh 9y ago
  I would also add: - regulate advertisements for unhealthy foods, especially ads targeted at children - ban vending machines (and candy sales) on school campuses - implement sugar taxes similar to cigarette taxes
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Actually there are plenty of policy mechanisms to improve nutrition I didn't say there weren't. I said that there was no policy mechanism identified to acheive the goal of returning to 1960s eating habits. > Further, allow insurers, medicaid, etc surcharge for the obese Especially in the case of Medicaid, which is a safety net program for the medically indigent, this is nothing short of murderous.

jnbiche 9y ago

To fix poverty among the poor, you'll have to do a whole lot more than just convince them to eat healthy: 1) Healthy food where I live is much more expensive than unhealthy food. I get that in SF and NYC, it's possible to buy such food at Asian grocers for a reasonable cost, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have an Asian grocer on their corner. So they'll need more money. 2) On a related note, many poor neighborhoods don't even have a grocery store within walking distance, and many poor Americans own no car. 3) Unless somehow the food is pre-cooked (unlikely), they'll need the time to prepare it. Many poor people work 2 jobs, and I know of some single mothers working 2 FT minimum-wage jobs. These are investment banker hours. They don't have time to cook. 4) Many poor people also don't have working stoves/ranges, just microwaves or hot plates. It's much harder to cook healthy food in microwaves, although it can be done. 5) The also need to learn how to cook new healthy foods, which isn't always easy. 6) Finally, and this is a big one, but it's very stressful to live life as a poor American. Many people both rich and poor stress eat, so that is another factor here. Anyway, not sure what you're suggesting, but if it's just that someone needs to tell those poor people to eat better, it's not always so easy. But I do agree with you it would be great if it were possible to work on some of the challenges above. 3)

harryh 9y ago
Re #4: 96.6% of US households below the poverty level have a working stove. https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/census-americans-poverty-typically-have-cell-phones-computers-tvs https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/censu...
- jnbiche 9y ago
  A lot of people living in subsidized housing will have a stove, because Section 8 requires it from landlords. However, I know a lot of people who may be slightly above the poverty line who don't have a working stove. That included me for a while.
  - harryh 9y ago
    It would be very unusual for access to an appliance to decrease as income rises. Do you have any data to support that claim beyond your individual experience?

death_and_taxes 9y ago

Cheap access to truly healthy food would be the most amazing social program, and probably have outsized benefits for its cost.