Free fruit and vegetables

[Mo]

The government are to issue vouchers for free fruit and vegetables to low income groups in an attempt to stem the tide of obesity........WHY?

 

Since when has a low income made people fat? There weren't too many fat people around in the 1930's.

 

It's not about income but more about lifestyle choices. A carrier bag full of fruit and vegetables costs no more than a couple of McDonalds so whats the problem.

[Bedhead]

i agree - surely that would stigmatise lower income families and give the perception that poorer people are generally more obese and too inadequate to make lifestyle choices - how strange!

 

are there stats which prove that the poorer you are the more obese you are??!!

[Sam Miguel]

I totally agree. It's disgusting. They are implying that low-income families are too stupid to know what's good for them and what's not.

 

The government owe an explanation here.

[Mo]

Bedhead I am not saying that it stigmatises lower income families but why should the taxpayer foot the bill when people are choosing to spend their money on c**p.

[Sam Miguel]

Don't high-income families eat crap, then? And if the answer is yes, which I am sure it is, are they likely to lower themselves by queueing up for their free fruit and veg vouchers?

 

I think not.

 

I'm afraid it's a swipe at the less well-off.

[Fletch]

i totally agree. its more likly the higher income people are more obese than the low income people

[Sam Miguel]

The government must think that the stereoypical low-earners of this country live like The Slobbs. I would suggest that this may be more the case with a lot of the high earners.

[Classic Rock]

There was something on TV the other day about the government planning to put a tax on fatty foods, or foods that generally are not healthy, in order to try to steer us away from them and encourage us as a nation to become healthier. Nothing was mentioned about low incomes. Personally I feel it's just another way to get even more money out of the People. Utterly ridiculous.

[Sidla]

At the end of the day, people eat unhealthy food because they like eating unhealthy food. No amount of free fruit or veg could stop it. If I was given free fruit, I'd just probably eat just as much crap and scoff the fruit as well.

[Phanerothyme]

Originally posted by Mo

The government are to issue vouchers for free fruit and vegetables to low income groups in an attempt to stem the tide of obesity........WHY?

 

Since when has a low income made people fat? There weren't too many fat people around in the 1930's.

Millions of em wiped out in both wars, rationing etc. Also a lot less processed food in everyone's diet.

It's not about income but more about lifestyle choices. A carrier bag full of fruit and vegetables costs no more than a couple of McDonalds so whats the problem.

 

But low income and obesity are closely correlated. Anyone care to suggest causal links? Why do the poorer sections of society consistently choose the worst food from a weight perspective? Because it is more or less expensive than allegedly healthy food?

 

Cheap fruit and veg from a cheap greenogrocer will go off much more quickly. It is cheap for a reason. Cheap meat is likely to be fatty offcuts with hydrolysed animal protein injected into it to bulk it up.

 

Cheap food is stuffed with crap to make it more enjoyable to eat.

 

The less money you spend on food, the poorer quality it is and vice versa (up to a point).

 

If you don't have much money, then the one other thing you are really short of is time. You must walk and wait for buses everywhere, use Launderettes, etc. Time is money.

 

And money is the time to spend 45 minutes preparing grilled seabream on a bed of rocket with a jus of red onion etc.