Did you know that 36.5% of adults in the US are obese and 9.4% of the US has diabetes? It's not a secret that it's cheaper to buy unhealthy food than foods that really provide you with all the nutrients you need. But the health impacts that that reality has on our nation are obvious, and with more and more emphasis on local, organically grown produce and products, why isn't the paradigm shifting?
A lot of it comes down to the work that goes into bringing those fresh strawberries from the field to your mouth. Most fresh produce must be picked by hand, while most produce that gets preserved in some sense (i.e. your strawberry jelly) can be harvested by a machine. This greatly cuts down on the cost. Add in the fact that we have become accustomed to eating only the "pretty" fruits and vegetables without bumps and bruises, and this means that even more care (time and money) is required for fresh produce.
But there's also the matter of government subsidies. Government subsidies for cereals like wheat, soy, and corn play a big part in the final cost of the product. Leafy greens, which are not subsidized, end up taking the hit because of economics. Some economists say that in order to give healthy foods a leg up, we need to start a junk food tax, just like we have for alcohol and cigarettes. What do you think? Should we put a tax on potato chips and candy? Watch the video to learn more!
