Many people throughout the world must make decisions regarding their diet daily. In many situations, the choice is regarding how much money they are willing to spend on food for themselves and their families. Individuals with low- to middle-income status tend to choose lower-priced foods, even if they will eventually pay a high price for their health. Many food companies take advantage of individuals living on lower wages by making highly processed, low priced convenience foods available to them. Brazil is a prime example of this interaction taking place between low-income households and the food processing industry. Nestlé has not only found success through selling their low-priced foods to the people of Brazil, but they have also provided jobs for many. The company employs many people in the rural, low-income areas of Brazil. These people push a cart carrying many highly processed, unhealthy foods to all people in the neighborhood. By utilizing local people to sell their goods, Nestlé has created a positive image for themselves. They are a supportive company who provides food and jobs for people of all income levels. …show more content…
These processed treats fill the stomachs of many people but do not provide bodies with necessary nutrients. Yet, because of their low prices and easy availability, people continue choosing to feed these foods to their families instead of eating traditional diets filled with fruits and vegetables. The decline in consumption of natural, healthy food and increase in fatty, processed food has created a health crisis throughout Brazil. As of 2015, 18% of the Brazilian population was obese. Many citizens are overweight and are burdened by hypertension and/or
Walsh, Bryan. “America’s Food Crisis.” NEXUS. Eds. Kim and Michael Flachmann. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 166 – 173. Print.
The Brazilian acai berry has been a food staple for low income families for years and a cultural symbol for generations. This berry is vital in Brazil, where it is farmed and, until recently had a relatively small market. However, after an Oprah interview the demand for acai has become an international affair. The rising demand has created a free market; however the once inexpensive food staple has become too expensive for the low income families. This report will analyse the current markets advantages and disadvantages, followed by two possible government intervention models. The examined interventions will be export tariff and price ceiling.
More and more health-conscious individuals are scrutinizing the source of the food their family consumes. However, even the most conscientious consumer is not fully aware of the exhaustive efforts and struggle to get a juicy, ripe strawberry or that plump tomato in the middle of winter, even in Florida. These foods are harvested and picked mostly by seasonal and migrant farm workers. Migrant workers hail, in large part, from Mexico and the Caribbean, and their families often travel with them. Migrant farm workers must endure challenging conditions so that Americans can have the beautiful selection of berries, tomatoes, and other fresh foods often found at places like a farmer’s market or a traditional super market. Seasonal and migrant farm workers suffer a variety of health problems as a result of their constant exposure to stress, the elements, and chemicals such as pesticides. They are paid minimal wages and are expected to work long hours of strenuous labor for pennies on the dollar per piece or per hour. The migrant families are expected to live in substandard quarters and transported to various work sites in unsafe transportation. The fresh fruits and vegetables consumers purchase with little thought reach supermarkets at a cost that is not reflected in the retail price. This cost is ultimately absorbed by farm workers in Florida and other areas throughout the country, who are among the poorest of American workers.
Nestle, Marion. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.
Although the two authors do not refer to each other directly in their works, both their perspectives share a common ground that no enough income make people eating less healthy. Pinsker argues that the actual barrier that stops people from eating healthy is the lack of income (129-130). He uses studies to show that poor families choose processed food because children like those tasty processed food (Pinsker 129-134). Whereas poor families cannot afford the waste if children refused to eat healthier but less tasty food parents provided (Pinsker 129-134). Cortright also suggests that income matters the most to why people do not eat healthy. He even further discusses income as the most influential limiting factor by addressing that other factors such as physical proximity to local food sources do not cause people to eat less healthy (Cortright 135-138). The two authors, in general, reach a consensus and mutually prove that income plays as the biggest limiting factor for people to have healthy
The 2009 movie Food Inc. describes the major role that food production plays within many lives. This movie revealed that there is a very small variety of companies that consumers purchase their food from. These few companies actually control what is out on the shelves and what we put into our bodies. These companies have changed food production into a food production business. Many of these companies experiment with ways to create large quantities of food at low production costs to result in an enormous amount of profit for themselves. Some of the production cost cuts also result in less healthy food for the population. Instead of worrying about the health of the population, the companies are worried about what will make them the most money.
Research proves that low-income families will shop wherever the food prices are lower, and generally cannot afford to pay for healthful foods. In comparison to the residents of higher income communities, low-income households normally have diets that are higher in meat and processed foods and often have low intakes of fruits and vegetables. Research suggests that people with low socioeconomic status spend up to 37% more on food. This is because of smaller weekly food budgets in addition to poorly stocked stores. Those with lower income are more likely to spend money on inexpensive fats and sugars versus fresh fruits and vegetables that are more costly on a per calorie basis. Healthy foods like whole grain products are more expensive than high calorie junk foods.
Food insecurity is an issue faced by millions of Americans every day, and the biggest group affected by this is working families with children. Food insecurity is so big that the United States government has now recognized it and provided a definition for it. The United States government has defined food insecurity as “a household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA.gov). Food banks and anti-hunger advocates agree that some of the causes of food insecurity are stagnant wages, increase in housing costs, unemployment, and inflation of the cost of food. These factors have caused food banks to see a change in the groups of people needing assistance. Doug O’Brien, director of public policy and research at Chicago-based Second Harvest says “’we’ve seen a real shift in who we serve. A decade ago, it was almost always homeless, single men and chronic substance abusers. Now we have children and working families at soup kitchens’” (Koch). These families that are feeling the effects of food insecurity will not be only ones affected by it, but all of America. Studies have shown that there is a link between food security, performance in the classroom, and obesity. If this issue is not faced head on, America will have a generation of children not fully prepared for the workforce and high health insurance rates due to obesity health issues.
Eating nutritious food may seem simple enough, but to those that hardly get by financially, affording healthy foods can be a major hindrance. This is proven by Dr. Jim Levine, a researcher with a concentration of the link between poverty and obesity. He is quoted stating, “In many poverty-dense regions, people are… unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail.” (Sifferlin 1) For example, further studies show that the average cost of salad is $1.50 more than the average cost of a hamburger. Getting vitamins and minerals from the food we eat is substantial to survive in everyday life. Annually, it costs five hundred and fifty dollars more to eat healthier. Five hundred and fifty dollars may not seem like much, but to those that have low income, it is a crucial amount. While achieving a healthy diet proves to be necessary to maintain a healthy weight, it is almost inaccessible for those with low income. Low-income individuals confront the barrier of the cost of healthier choices in their everyday
The United States Department of Agriculture has produced an interactive map which highlights areas of low income and low access to healthy food. As you can see in Figure 2, the problem persists throughout the country across cities and rural areas. The map provided as...
Food influences can be “grouped into five categories: cultural ideas, personal factors, resources, social factors and present contexts” (Jeffery Sobal & Carole A. Bisogni, 2009) Cultural influences set the frame work for behaviors shared by a group of people, these behaviors are a frame of reference to judge normal or right actions. Personal factors for eating include education and knowledge, lack of understanding of how to apply nutritional information does little in creating motivation to change eating habits. Resources can be a determinate in obtaining healthy food or organic food choices, low income groups often consume unhealthy food options and lack the means to shop for healthier food options like fresh fruit and vegetables. The social factors that affect eating are based on social class and social setting. The venue where food is consumed will dictate food choices and cost, in social settings food choices may be limited for people with dietary restrictions like vegetarians or food allergies. Social class is another factor affecting what we eat, there are marked differences between food consumption and experiences with social class; with one sector experiencing food insecurity and a limited food experience, while the other sector experiences food security and wider food
This problem is so much so that they require a different responsibility and even different collective actions of civic and even political standers to address (638).” Although healthy choices are more expensive, it is still a choice to enrich your body with responsible options. Obviously with less income, the less one can afford healthier sustenance so ultimately the choices go to the least costly foods and drinks, which sadly are the exact proponents that lead to obesity and health
The major theme of the company is “Good food good life” which is also communicated to the customers at the end of every television commercial, and the same has been printed on the packaging of the products (Nestle 2015). This is a promise that they will continue to serve people every day with good and quality food that will enhance their standard of living. They are dedicated and committed to enhancing lives of people by proposing and offering healthy food that is of good taste and quality leading on to refreshing beverages that can make your day even better. They believe in thinking out of the box and are initiating a broad range of environmental and social enterprises that will help them making a difference. Nestle was keen on launching a business concept called Creating Shared Value, with an aim to encourage companies to focus on the social issues that need attention side by side to their economic and social value.
It became so clear that junk foods lead to a punch of catastrophic diseases like obesity, type two diabetes, vascular diseases and cardiac disorders. Those kinds of diseases cost more than $150 billion annually, just to diagnose, treat people who suffer from them. That disease is chronic and leads to many health-related issues, for example, obesity considers a risk factor for type two diabetes, and high blood pressure, joint disorders and many others (The Denver Post 2012). The key of preventing many chronic problems is nutrition. Low income plays an important role of limiting most people to buy and eat a healthy diet and in the other hand, it is easy for people budgets to purchase junk foods. So controlling the prices of healthy foods to be suitable for all people make good nutrition available for everyone. Adequate diets mean decreasing the epidemic of those serious diseases, and stopping the spread and break the bad sequences that may happen. Long-term exposure to junk foods that are full with chemicals like additives, preservatives have led to chronic illnesses difficult to treat. Also, the chemical added to junk foods are tasted unique and made millions of people becoming addicted to them and are available everywhere for example in restaurants, cafes, lunchrooms (The Denver Post
One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. On one hand, there are high-calorie foods in daily diets like chocolates, sugar, cheese and butter. Teenagers eat more and more high-fat burgers and pizza in fast food restaurants. For example, according to Altman and Leitch (2012), in Mexico, students drink cola rather than water due to the short of hygienic drinking water. Coca cola made agreements with many schools that they would exclusively sell Coca cola inside the schools. Therefore, Mexicans are considering being the most obese country which will have 70% overweight people including 30% obsess in the future. (Altman and Leitch,2012). The foods most commonly eaten by over 80% of kids are white bread, savoury snacks, chips, biscuits and chocolate confectionery. Besides, almost 20% kids do not eat any fruit at all. In general, kids eat about half the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. On the other hand, some people judge traditional food healthier; however, some traditional foods are extremely oily as well. For example, Chinese pay attention to use oil to heat the ingredients quickly. This makes the food fairly oily and high-fat. Furthermore, diets today are changing according to ...