Health has a price tag Writing and Art by Calista Shohet It is common knowledge that obesity has long plagued the American population in startling numbers. According to 20172018 census data, the percentage of obese adults in the United States was over 40% compared with the 2016 worldwide amount of 13%, according to the World Health Organization. However, what is not commonly acknowledged is the interconnectedness between poverty and obesity. Since the cost of a healthy lifestyle is not realistic for a significant percentage of U.S. citizens, survival overrules well-being. The inability of many families to afford healthy diets is demonstrated by a 2017 research study analyzing the cost of following a MyPlate diet, the dietary guidelines recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The revealing study, conducted by researchers Kranti Mulik and Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, demonstrated that the cost for following these guidelines would range from $1,109 to $1,249 per month for a family of four. This is not feasible or realistic for much of America’s lower class. Without a healthy diet as an option, people search for anything that can fill them up on a budget. Here, fast food comes into play. Its consistent low prices and convenience make it ideal for those working to support a family. With a Big Mac costing about $4, McDonald’s is the more accessible option than the MyPlate diet. However, this comes at a price. King’s College London’s Professor of genetic epidemiology Tim Spector had his son Tom experiment with McDonald’s cuisine for three days. Following the trial, Tom’s gut was extensively damaged. He had lost around 40% of the bacteria species in his gut, a key sign of impending obesity and diabetes.
It is not only the price and convenience of fast food keeping the obesity epidemic intact in America. The arrangement of neighborhoods also plays a significant role due to food deserts. A food desert is an area where healthy options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, are not easily available for consumption. For various reasons, food deserts commonly come to life in low-income areas. To start, opening a grocery store anywhere is a large financial risk. In less privileged areas, this risk greatly increases. People with financial assistance on food can’t help the store make a profit, and socioeconomic issues such as crime rates can greatly increase insurance costs for these institutions. Transportation to food stores is also more challenging when money is limited. Due to these challenges, corner stores and fast-food chains tend to be more prevalent in these communities. Luckily, Carlmont has been a leader in fighting this problem in the school community. Daily breakfast and lunch for students are free, providing a way for so many families to save money. “Carlmont strikes me as having not particularly unhealthy or healthy items. The fruit and milk offered have nutrition, but of course, not everybody grabs them, and overall there aren’t many vegetables. They really could expand on offering more vegan or vegetarian options as well,” said Katinka Lennemann, a senior working in the Carlmont cafeteria. However, the school’s hard work in providing healthier options is sometimes overlooked by students. “If the pizza’s there, more people come for food. Free pizza is free pizza, and we’re hard-wired to like the salt and fat,” Lennemann said.
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