“Make sure to shop in the fresh sections of the grocery store for nutritious foods,” the doctor told the obese patient as they trudged out the door. How can I afford to buy these foods, the patient thought to themselves, when I only make $130 a week and am trying to feed a family of four? This situation is the harsh reality for forty-five million Americans. (emotional appeal) Of the many Americans who have been labeled obese, very few have the actual monetary means to fix their ailment. The war on obesity has consumed lower class America for several years and the end is nowhere in sight. Poverty is the cause of obesity because nutritious foods are becoming increasingly more expensive, people struggling with poverty do not have enough money to pay …show more content…
Many feel that because there is variety and option at stores, the problem of obesity does not lie on poverty, but instead poor decision making. Studies have been done to try and prove the theory wrong such as Nanci Hellmich, author of “Healthy Food No More Costly Than Junk Food, Government Finds”, who advocates that “when using weight and portion size as the guid, many healthy foods were not any more costly than unhealthy ones.” However, this information is truly impossible. The healthiest foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are without a doubt the most expensive items in the grocery store. The most expensive items are certainly ones that underprivileged people cannot afford. The truth is that “if you have $3 to feed yourself, your choices gravitate toward food which give you the most calories per dollar,” which is not always going to necessarily be equal with healthy and unhealthy foods (“Can”). Ultimately, while yes people do have the option to choose their foods, their income definitely limits what they can