Cheap High-Calories and Obesity

High-calorie foods tend to cost less then lower-calorie items, according to researches at the University of Washington, leaving families with low budgets no option but to put themselves at risk of becoming overweight. The research reports that low-calorie foods increased in price by 19.5 percent over a two-year period, while high-calorie items dropped in price by 1.8 percent.

Low Calories - High Prices

"The findings that energy-dense foods are not only the least expensive but also most resistant to inflation may help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means," say Pablo Monsivais and Adam Drewnowskito, authors of the study published by The Journal of the American Dietetic Association in December.

Their findings are supported by the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS). Although not everyone is equally at risk of becoming overweight, "researchers at ERS have found that individuals who have not gone to college, women with lower incomes, single mothers, and men in rural areas are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese."

Information and Choice

Government efforts to educate the public about the alarming rates of obesity and their associated health consequences have been well publicized. "Recent consumption statistics, however, show that many of us are still choosing diets that are out of sync with dietary guidance," reports the USDA.

A study by the Calorie Control Council last year found that 33 percent of Americans - a record number - were on a diet. Yet, according to figures by the Center for Disease Control, the incidence in overweight and obesity since the mid-seventies was still climbing steadily. From 1976 to 2004, the number of obese adults rose from 15% to 32.9% and the number of obese children, 6-11 years old, increased from 6.5% to 18.8%.

The Battle

Even though the Federal Government set out to reduce the rate of obesity to less than 15% by the year 2010 the situation just seems to be getting worse, calling it an epidemic.

An epidemic that - if it has not escaped the public eye - has become permeated with variables beyond our control. "The sharp price increase observed for vegetables and fruit relative to fats and sweets suggest that the ability to adopt more-healthful diets may be limited by economic constraints."

If you would like more information on the subject, the Center for Disease Control provides a wealth of information on the topic and the serious health issues related to obesity.