Half of Americans will be obese by 2030 if current trends continue, according to a report released last week in the British medical journal The Lancet.
In addition to the health consequences _ millions more people facing premature death and reduced quality of life from diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer _ the cost of treating these largely preventable conditions will increase U.S. health care expenditures by a projected $48 billion to $66 billion a year. This trend absolutely must be addressed and will not be reversed, the report concluded, without government-led efforts to make healthful foods cheaper and unhealthy foods more expensive.
The obesity pandemic is a global problem, and, while America has been unable to reach a consensus on the merits of even a 3-cent tax on soda, European countries are taking action. The Hungarian Parliament recently approved a series of taxes on pre-packaged foods with high salt and sugar contents. Norway has a tax on sugar and chocolate; Finland has a tax on sugary products and is considering a tax on saturated fat; Denmark plans to introduce a tax on saturated fats later this year.
The question is, how much more expensive is it to eat healthfully, and would taxes on junk food really motivate American consumers to change their habits?
There is certainly a perception that health food costs more than junk food. At a local pool the other day, I overheard two young men commiserating over their grocery bills.
"It's so expensive to eat healthy," one said. "I'd like to see more people putting in gardens," said the other, after explaining how little work was involved in his own small plot and sharing some surplus cucumbers and tomatoes.
There is also data to back up the perception that empty calories cost less. A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that $1 will buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda _ but only 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit.
But what does that really mean to the average consumer? I did some price comparing at Hannaford the other day and was surprised by what I found.
"¢ Milk vs. soda: A gallon of fat-free, store-brand milk was $2.69, a penny less than the same amount (two 2-liter bottles) of Coca-Cola.
"¢ Bananas vs: Oreos: At 59 cents a pound, 1 medium banana cost only 30 cents more than the serving size of three Oreos, which were on sale for $2.50 a package.
"¢ Apples vs. potato chips: Lay's chips were on sale at $2 for a 10.5-ounce bag containing 11 servings. A 3-pound bag of 11 small apples, on the other hand, cost $3.49.
So, yes, bananas and apples do cost more than cookies and chips. Still, basic fruits and vegetables are actually not that expensive. For a grand total of $10.94 a week, the average adult can get the recommended "five a day" by eating a banana at breakfast, salad and an apple for lunch, and a serving of cooked vegetables at dinner.
That same $11 would buy 1 package of Chips Ahoy cookies, 1 bag of Doritos, 1 bag of M&Ms and a box of Yodels. Would a tax on these items really spur an obese adult to choose salad over chips? I doubt it. However, it might make an impact on the next generation if the revenue were put toward programs that help kids be active _ like bike paths, parks and intramural sports _ or used in an overhaul of the school lunch program that would enable more school districts to buy fresh food from local farmers rather than relying on canned vegetables and fruit cocktail.
Taxes may be part of the solution, but we need broad cultural change that levels the playing field _ so that good food is as widely available, appealing and affordable as junk food. Public will for change is increasing, and the market is starting to respond.
The University of North Texas recently opened the nation's first all-vegan college cafeteria _ featuring things such as roasted vegetables, homemade focaccia and soy-based soft-serve ice cream _ in response to requests from students for healthier options. Closer to home, at the Crossgates Mall in Albany, health-conscious shoppers can forgo the food court and nosh on salads, wraps and fruit smoothies at the Fresh Café.
Now, if we could just get rid of drive-throughs and candy-filled check-outs, we might make some progress.
Lisa Miller is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Oneonta. She can be reached at lisamiller44@hotmail.com.
Lisa Miller
Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- Lisa Miller
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A view from above
Fire towers in the Catskill Mountains have always been destination points, built to capture some of the region’s best views. These sentinel stations served an important role for the earliest possible sightings of forest fires in the remote mountain ranges. But the fire towers and those who manned them fulfilled a multitude of other roles as well.
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
I am sitting cross-legged on the floor in the dressing room, waiting for Allie's dance number to be called. The cave girl costume has been donned, the jazz shoes double-tied, the hair pulled back, the requisite dab of lipstick applied.
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A family era ends with close of Potter series
As Harry Potter fans the world over flock to theaters for the final screenings of the final film in the eight-part series, I'm marking the end of an era myself, reading the last pages of the last book to my last child.
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Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
For many small communities, the Borders store at the nearest mall was the only place to browse and buy a variety of books, beyond the few titles offered in Walmart bestseller and bargain racks.
- Saturday, July 2, 2011
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Untethered from the cable box
I never imagined it would be so easy to be cable-free.
- Saturday, June 11, 2011
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On cells, sprouts and sodas
It figures. Six weeks after we dropped our landline, the World Health Organization issued a warning that radiation from cell phones might cause brain cancer. Meanwhile, the ultimate health food, organic bean sprouts, is being blamed for one of the deadliest E. coli outbreaks in recent history.
- Saturday, May 21, 2011
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End of the world as we know it? I feel fine
If you're reading this article after 6 p.m. and the ground is not shaking beneath your feet, then Harold Camping was wrong. Again.
- Sunday, May 1, 2011
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Song lyrics are an odd measure of attitudes
It was the third rainy weekend in a row, and I was scrolling through comments to a post by MSNBC blogger Melissa Dahl about a new study linking song lyrics to cultural changes.
- Saturday, April 9, 2011
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Parenting adventure takes a turn
On Friday, my 13-year-old daughter, Abby, will embark on the biggest adventure of her life.
- Saturday, March 19, 2011
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Japan devastation: Powerful reminder of our limitations
The images were surreal. People screaming from higher ground as they watched the relentless wave of brown water sweep up houses and topple power lines. Cars and boats floating like bath toys. Aerial photos of flattened villages, with crumpled roofs jutting out of the debris-laden landscape and orange-suited rescue workers like ants on a mountain of twigs.
- Saturday, February 26, 2011
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As food prices rise, sustainability makes more business sense
Frustration with high food prices is among the underlying causes of the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, and a global food crisis may be brewing.
- Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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National agenda needed to advance green technology
In his State of the Union address, President Obama issued a call to action for Americans to "out-innovate" the rest of the world and build on our history of doing "big things." Green technology is the next big thing, and it's our best hope to reinvent ourselves as competitors in the global economy. But we won't get there without a comprehensive national agenda supported by all parties -- political, yes, but also businesses, consumers, educators and students.
- Saturday, January 15, 2011
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Shootings remind us of need to teach children to hope
They should have been chattering about spelling tests and Hannah Montana songs. But instead, the two second-graders in my backseat were talking about the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. They had heard about it at school and were commiserating over the "sad" and "creepy" news as we drove home for a play date.
- Friday, December 3, 2010
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Marketing tactics could get kids to eat healthy foods
In a new twist on the "Super Size Me" fast-food diet experiment, the executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission ate nothing but spuds for 60 days.
- Saturday, November 13, 2010
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'Oneonta 360' captures essence of our area
The fact that Oneonta's new branding campaign has generated so much controversy shows how passionately people feel about this place. One thing everyone might agree on is that the essence of Oneonta cannot be easily conveyed in a few words or a logo. However, photographer Stephen Joseph makes a fascinating attempt to capture it in his new book, "Oneonta 360." If you haven't seen it yet, stop by Huntington Library, where one two-page spread is on display each day.
- Saturday, October 23, 2010
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Stem cell research must move forward
Robert Edwards of Britain received the Nobel Prize in medicine earlier this month for research that led to the birth of the first "test-tube baby" in 1978. Hugely controversial 32 years ago, Edwards' work is now lauded as a medical breakthrough that has brought immeasurable joy to the families of the 4 million babies born through in vitro fertilization.
- Saturday, October 2, 2010
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Supersized salmon? No thanks
Davenport Garden Center owner Dennis Valente drizzled maple syrup over sweet potatoes in the cafeteria kitchen while a group of sixth-graders topped pizza crusts with pesto they'd made using basil from their school garden.
- Saturday, September 11, 2010
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Chobani yogurt: Nothing but good for the area
I'm in love with Chobani. True to its marketing slogan, this locally made, Greek-style yogurt is, indeed, "nothing but good." First of all, it's delicious: thick, creamy, fruity and sweet (but not too sweet).
- Saturday, August 21, 2010
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Summer is a perfect time to unplug
Last month, I wrote about the rewards of disconnecting from information technology during a weeklong family camping trip. Since then, I've picked blueberries, skipped rocks, curled up with my 6-year-old and a pile of books, walked in the woods, and spent a gorgeous day at the lake picnicking with friends and watching the kids swim.
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