Health is Wealth

Unhealthy and cheaper section of the supermarket

Healthy and more expensive section of the supermarket

Health is wealth but healthy foods these days are costing more and more. Many low- income shoppers usually spend $4- $7 on groceries and simply cannot survive on low calorie healthy foods. Many of the unhealthy foods carry high energy density but little nutritional value while healthy foods do the exact oppose.

“a 2,000-calorie diet would cost just $3.52 a day if it consisted of junk food, compared with $36.32 a day for a diet of low-energy dense foods.”

Many people simply do not have a choice but to lead unhealthy lives and these choices becomes an unhealthy habit. Low- income people are especially susceptible to this lifestyle.

“low-calorie foods were more likely to increase in price, surging 19.5 percent over the two-year study period.
High-calorie foods remained a relative bargain, dropping in price by 1.8 percent.”

You can eat twice the amount of unhealthy foods than healthy foods and still pay less. If a person has $4, they can choose to be healthy and hungry or unhealthy and full; many people would choose the latter option and have chosen it.