the high cost of cheap foods

I was in the grocery store with my Mom the other day and we were behind a man and his son (it seemed that they were father and son).  The little boy was in the front of the grocery basket, dirty feet hanging down, messy blond hair, and the cutest smile ever.  He might have been a teeny bit chubby, but really he was cherubic.  

The man with him was quite overweight - but attentive to the boy and really seeming to be doing his best.  In the main part of the shopping cart were about twenty or so frozen dinners - pot pies and dessert pies and sodas.  Oh and a half gallon of whole milk.  I don't remember any other things.  I told Mom, "That boy doesn't stand a chance."  Meaning that he was likely to add to the 16% of obesity in American children and later to the 32% of adult obesity.  She said, as she usually does, "you can't do anything about it though - even if it is true."  To which I replied, "But I can, I absolutely can and that is why I am in school."  Not to change that father or to "save" that child , but to impact population health through population strategy.

Just for curiosity, I positioned myself near to the register display and watched as the order of that duo was scanned. Every one of the frozen entrees cost less than a dollar.  In fact, they all cost less than 75 cents!  The sodas were also under a dollar except the two Mt. Dew brand ones, which were 1.25.  The only thing that cost more than two dollars was the whole milk and just barely.  

Then I watched as they scanned my Mother's groceries and the inverse was true.  We might have had ONE thing that was less than a dollar and our skim milk was a dollar MORE than the whole milk.

I absolutely believe that the price of food that is filling, nutritious and low in calories and fat must be adjusted with a policy or a strategy (free market possibilities exist!).  Remember there are little p policies and big P policies, so don't get upset about government intervention. (I favor big P but not everyone does)

I realize that there are some people that will choose the high calorie, fat, and sugar foods over the healthier ones no matter the cost, but I sincerely believe that if an affordable  option was there, more people would eat better.  I would like my future work to be finding out if what I think is in fact true.  Again, population effects are what I am after, not individual level change - I don't have the stomach for that business!!