We’ve all been told to have a balanced diet, eat fresh vegetables and fruit every day, and avoid frozen or pre-made meals to stay healthy. But a lot of people still choose fast food, because they like it or they don’t know how to cook. In addition, it’s not always that, but for some people, it’s the only food they can afford.
Twitter user Emily Porter pointed out that overweight people who still continue to eat at McDonald’s may only be able to afford this kind of food and we should be less judgmental towards them. The tweet got mixed responses and while the majority of people were sympathizing with the statement, a lot of them didn’t agree with sacrificing one’s health for an easier food option.
More info: Twitter
A doctor on Twitter defends those eating junk food by saying that people with lower income may be unable to afford healthier options
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Emily Porter is a board-certified emergency physician, a wife and a mother that beat cancer two times in 20 years. Recently, she posted a tweet that made people divide into two camps: the ones agreeing with her and others disagreeing.
In said tweet, Dr. Porter encourages people to be more compassionate towards people who eat fast food because it could possibly be their only choice as healthier options are pricier. She compares a meal she bought at McDonalds that cost $3.25 with non-organic raspberries at Walmart that cost $8.96 for a pound.
She gives an example from her own experience when she ate a full meal from McDonald's for $3.25 while a pound of raspberries at Walmart cost $8.96
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
According to the results of a meta-analysis published in 2013 in BMJ Open, a healthier diet costs $1.48 more a day, which would add up to $540.20 a year, and for a family of four, the amount would equal to $2,160.80.
Another study done in the UK by the Institute of Economic Affairs concluded that “switching to healthier versions of many staple products can be achieved at no extra cost.“ So there isn‘t a definite answer and it probably depends on where a person lives, what supermarkets are near their homes, and other factors.
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Dr. Porter also points out that not everyone has supermarkets near their homes and can buy fresh food
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Even if making healthy food is cheaper, then Dr. Porter argues that a person who works all day wouldn’t have the energy to prepare a meal, and let’s not forget that you have to clean up afterwards. So, cooking a frozen pizza or mixing up some macaroni and cheese seems way easier, less time-consuming, and less messy when everything you want after a tiring day is to lay down.
Furthermore, cooking is a lot of work and after a long, tiring day, pre-made meals are just more convenient
Image credits: dremilyportermd
The tweet got over 25k likes, so there are definitely a lot of people who relate and are struggling with eating more healthy because fast food is just cheaper, at the same time recognizing that it is a problem.
There were other opinions, with people saying that preparing meals at home on a budget is possible and eating cheap junk food will eventually cost you more in medical bills in the future.
There are some conflicting opinions in the comments, but everyone has their reasoning
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Tell us in the comments what you think! Do you agree that junk food becomes the only option for people with a lower income, or do you know of ways to prepare an easy healthy meal while being on a budget?