Depressing Research: Cherry Jelly Beans Cheaper than Actual Cherries

You probably already knew this on some level but this recent study from the University of Washington (Hi Seattle! Hi!!!) backs you up: healthy food is more expensive than gastronomous garbage. Calorie for calorie, junk food is cheaper. Not only that but the price of said junk has stayed the same or dropped while healthy food, especially fresh produce, has risen by 20%, outpacing inflation. Sigh.
Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the center for Public Health Nutrition summed it up: “We are an overfed but undernourished nation.”
The problem anymore isn’t can the people afford food but rather can they afford nutritious food? Economic disparities of this type can have huge consequences for a society. Marie Antionette’s “Let them eat cake” takes on a whole new meaning now, doesn’t it?

2 Comments

  1. Scary but I’ve definitely noticed it.
    Particularly at this time of year, here in Canada, fruit and vegetables are horribly expensive. Well…i kinda have issues with them being flown in from who-knows-where but…still, even if I do get over that, they’re very expensive.

  2. It’s also an issue in areas where there aren’t even any grocery stores, just convenience stores. It’s interesting that the “experts” tell us what we “should” eat, but don’t take into account the fact that a lot of it is inaccessible.