Healthcare isn't a constitutional right, but a human right

[Color Me Badd Fan]

My unscientific theory is that poor people consume fast food at greater proportions because........grocery stores and strip malls do not like to build in poor areas. For the urban poor in cities like NYC and Chicago, it is easier to eat at any of the abundance of cheap food joints on their block than to spend the cash on expensive groceries at local stores. In a place like LA.....take a drive through South Central sometime and tell me how many grocery store chains you see. You are more likely to see a hispanic market here and there, but good luck finding an Albertsons or something along those lines.

I lived in NYC for a year and noticed that the fast food joints were frequented significantly more often by minorities (who were on average more poor than whites and asians living in the city). This was Manhattan below Harlem. Although its true that smaller markets that you inherently find in urban areas are more expensive than Albertsons, its still not more cost effective to eat at McDonalds every day rather than shop at the local grocers.

But the problem is also huge in the rural south- and that's not mostly limited to minorities. I think its mostly a problem of poor people having poor habits in relation to their diets. The food industry over the past 30 years or so has figured out how to cheaply make food that's loaded with crap that a lot of people find irresistable.

While someone from the upper class (but no so upper class that they don't cook their own food) will go to the local vegetable stands, butchers and bakers in NYC and go home and make themselves tasty meals that are also nutritious, the lower classes are standing in line at Wendy's and BK. True, the upper class are the only ones that can buy the expensive cheese, but the lower class also has the option of picking up some chicken, potatoes and brocoli and generously feeding a family of four on about $12, or the same four can eat at Wendy's for well over $15.

[falafel]

My unscientific theory is that poor people consume fast food at greater proportions because........grocery stores and strip malls do not like to build in poor areas. For the urban poor in cities like NYC and Chicago, it is easier to eat at any of the abundance of cheap food joints on their block than to spend the cash on expensive groceries at local stores. In a place like LA.....take a drive through South Central sometime and tell me how many grocery store chains you see. You are more likely to see a hispanic market here and there, but good luck finding an Albertsons or something along those lines.

Going along with that, its also a lot easier to get one cheap meal at a fast food restaurant. Buying groceries usually is expensive, even though its probably cheaper to plan several meals in advance. But it still requires the inital outlay of cash.

[JohnnyLingo]

Going along with that, its also a lot easier to get one cheap meal at a fast food restaurant. Buying groceries usually is expensive, even though its probably cheaper to plan several meals in advance. But it still requires the inital outlay of cash.

Since most people get paid in large chunks, I fail to see how that's a factor.

[UtahDan]

My unscientific theory is that poor people consume fast food at greater proportions because........grocery stores and strip malls do not like to build in poor areas. For the urban poor in cities like NYC and Chicago, it is easier to eat at any of the abundance of cheap food joints on their block than to spend the cash on expensive groceries at local stores. In a place like LA.....take a drive through South Central sometime and tell me how many grocery store chains you see. You are more likely to see a hispanic market here and there, but good luck finding an Albertsons or something along those lines.

There is something to this. Give me $100 (thats only $3/day) for the month and I could not only subsist at Taco Bell, I could put on 20 lbs.