4 ms·

You are assuming that poorer means worse diet. That is simply not true at all in relation to having a healthy diet, and the opposite is perhaps true. In many

You are assuming that poorer means worse diet. That is simply not true at all in relation to having a healthy diet, and the opposite is perhaps true. In many places the traditional diet is healthy. Then, when people become richer they eat more, eat more meat, more fat, more sugar, more processed food, etc., and obesity and cardiovascular diseases shoot up.

vahji 8y ago
As a poor person who's always been surrounded by poor people, you are wrong. Poor and less educated people know nothing about nutrition and don't have the money to buy good food. When you don't have the money you are forced to fill up with cheap calories like bread, rice, pasta, sugar, etc.
- magic_beans 8y ago
  In the US, absolutely. In other countries, not so much.
- entity345 8y ago
  Nothing unhealthy with bread, rice, pasta... In Sicily, as that is the example given, people are poorer than the European average and significantly poorer than the American average. Yet they have a healthier diet. The issue of unhealthy diets in the US/Europe is not so much poverty but a culture of junk food and not knowing better.
- coldtea 8y ago
  >Poor and less educated people know nothing about nutrition and don't have the money to buy good food. In societies with traditional agriculture and village culture, they don't have to "know about nutrition". Their traditional recipes and ways of eating are healthier, and cheaper. That's not an absolute rule, but that's exactly the case with Mediterranean diet for one. >When you don't have the money you are forced to fill up with cheap calories like bread, rice, pasta, sugar, etc. Some of which is fine. The healthier people in Japan eat a lot of rice, and bread is mighty fine too, as are noodles etc. Sugar and highly refined breads are recent inventions. They poor people in Italy pre-70s would hardly have much sugar in their meals except from natural sources (tomatoes etc, not refined). No fast-food and crappy supermarket tv-diner style food either. People cooked religiously. Also the poor masses in Italy etc were traditionally not destitute (e.g. developing world-like). Just poor. They could still afford basic meals, and had strong family support.

vahji 8y ago

As a poor person who's always been surrounded by poor people, you are wrong. Poor and less educated people know nothing about nutrition and don't have the money to buy good food. When you don't have the money you are forced to fill up with cheap calories like bread, rice, pasta, sugar, etc.

magic_beans 8y ago
In the US, absolutely. In other countries, not so much.
entity345 8y ago
Nothing unhealthy with bread, rice, pasta... In Sicily, as that is the example given, people are poorer than the European average and significantly poorer than the American average. Yet they have a healthier diet. The issue of unhealthy diets in the US/Europe is not so much poverty but a culture of junk food and not knowing better.
coldtea 8y ago
>Poor and less educated people know nothing about nutrition and don't have the money to buy good food. In societies with traditional agriculture and village culture, they don't have to "know about nutrition". Their traditional recipes and ways of eating are healthier, and cheaper. That's not an absolute rule, but that's exactly the case with Mediterranean diet for one. >When you don't have the money you are forced to fill up with cheap calories like bread, rice, pasta, sugar, etc. Some of which is fine. The healthier people in Japan eat a lot of rice, and bread is mighty fine too, as are noodles etc. Sugar and highly refined breads are recent inventions. They poor people in Italy pre-70s would hardly have much sugar in their meals except from natural sources (tomatoes etc, not refined). No fast-food and crappy supermarket tv-diner style food either. People cooked religiously. Also the poor masses in Italy etc were traditionally not destitute (e.g. developing world-like). Just poor. They could still afford basic meals, and had strong family support.