A Nation Of Poor Eaters
2007 July 15
The Food standards Agency has surprised itself in findings that show poor people consume a diet nowhere near as bad as had been assumed when compared to other socio-economic groups. That is not to say that people on low incomes are eating healthily at all but that all economic groups are eating a bad diet.
In the survey of 3,500 people on low incomes they found:
- 80% shopped at a large supermarket
- Most claimed to have good cooking and food storage facilities at home
- 91% of women and64% of men said they were able to cook from basic ingredients
- 62% of men and 63% of women were overweight or obese
- 35% of boys and 34% of girls were overweight or obese
- Higher levels of smoking and alcohol consumption
- Lower levels of activity
- Lower consumption of fruit and vegetables
- Higher consumption of surgery drinks
Another interesting factoid is that an average trolley of food from the supermarket now costs 7% less in real terms that it did in the year 2000 and 15% less than in 1900.
I have to say I wasn’t too surprised to hear of their findings, particularly that a poor diet isn’t exclusive to the lower income groups. Fifty years of the development of supermarkets, fast foods, TV dinners, larger farms and a global ffod market have all led us to this state.
Hello matt- It has been common to blame a disproportionate amount of poor eating habits on the low income underclass so few of us have cause for celebration. I would put the blame more on our long hour work culture and instant gratification tendencies that have turned many to microwave dinners in less than 3 minutes etc.