Americans Life Expectancy

[Jenksismyhero]

they also have this, unfortunately:

 

 

that's sorta what I mean by your choices being constrained or at least heavily influenced by culture/markets.

 

How is that choice constrained?

[Soxbadger]

No way. Eating vegetables and fruits and lean meats (healthy food) is insanely inexpensive. When we lived in the city my wife and I would go to one of those all produce stores and load up a cart full of all kinds of things and it would be under 25 bucks. You're talking a weeks worth of meals for that much. Conversely you go to Sams or Costco and buy prepared meals and you walk out the door with a 300 dollar charge.

 

It comes down to choice. I don't excuse poor people with supposed limited access to food from making those poor choices. Their food is paid for. They gotta go get their WIC or LINK food from a real grocery store anyway. They CHOOSE to be lazy and buy the processed stuff.

 

That just isnt true. Ive done the math with making tacos. If you buy 1) lean ground beef, 2) flour tortilla and 3) cheese. The price is at minimum 2 dollars per serving, which is not break even with fast food as you also have to include opportunity costs, time, etc. Now when you buy food there is going to be some spoilage, where as if you go to Taco Bell, you dont lose anything to spoilage.

 

I bought some apples yesterday at Jewel, 4 apples, $4. Milk is $3.

 

Like I said, show me some actual numbers. Not just "I went to the store one time and bought a cart of food for under $25."

 

I dont even care about this stupid argument. We all make our choices. If I die early it wont be because I ate fast food or ate healthy, worked out didnt work out, it will be due to taking in excess of $100,000 worth of drugs.

[Cknolls]

they also have this, unfortunately:

 

 

that's sorta what I mean by your choices being constrained or at least heavily influenced by culture/markets.

 

 

 

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Music/violin-011.gif

[StrangeSox]

I can choose to eat elsewhere. I can choose to drink something else. I can choose to only drink part of the soda, but our brains aren't wired well for that. What I can't choose is to get a 7oz soda to enjoy one but also make sure I only drink 7oz. The default is going to be 24-32oz, and moving the default higher and higher will lead to more people drinking more soda.

[bmags]

Heck all fast food places have salads now a days.

 

With cheese and fried chicken, the best kind of salads for health.

[Soxbadger]

I can choose to eat elsewhere. I can choose to drink something else. I can choose to only drink part of the soda, but our brains aren't wired well for that. What I can't choose is to get a 7oz soda to enjoy one but also make sure I only drink 7oz. The default is going to be 24-32oz, and moving the default higher and higher will lead to more people drinking more soda.

 

Im not even sure why you arent using the better argument.

 

At McDonalds every size drink is $1. It is economically sound to always buy the biggest drink if it is the same price as the smallest drink.

 

Or even further McDonalds drinks are cheaper than every other drink, therefore you can save almost a $1 by buying a large McDonalds coke as compared to a regular Chipotle.

[Iwritecode]

I wonder if part of it is because medical costs are so expensive. I went without insurance for many years simply because I couldn't afford it.

 

 

 

 

[StrangeSox]

http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Music/violin-011.gif

 

Who are you playing that violin for? It's a point about what options are available to people and can be expanded to a broader point about what options are marketed, advertised and reinforced socially. If you want to talk about public health and public choice you're going to have to look at broad social factors like that.

[Jenksismyhero]

That just isnt true. Ive done the math with making tacos. If you buy 1) lean ground beef, 2) flour tortilla and 3) cheese. The price is at minimum 2 dollars per serving, which is not break even with fast food as you also have to include opportunity costs, time, etc. Now when you buy food there is going to be some spoilage, where as if you go to Taco Bell, you dont lose anything to spoilage.

 

I bought some apples yesterday at Jewel, 4 apples, $4. Milk is $3.

 

Like I said, show me some actual numbers. Not just "I went to the store one time and bought a cart of food for under $25."

 

I dont even care about this stupid argument. We all make our choices. If I die early it wont be because I ate fast food or ate healthy, worked out didnt work out, it will be due to taking in excess of $100,000 worth of drugs.

 

You made the claim, you prove it. And tacos aren't exactly "healthy food." I can make you a healthy salad for less then 2 bucks (not that taco bell would be less than 2 bucks once you account for the food and travel).

 

But yes, this is a dumb argument. At the end of the day in 99% of cases making your own food and having left overs is going to be cheaper than getting something pre-made or going out to eat. People choose to be lazy and spend more. I'm fine with that choice as well. It's 'merica dammit.

[StrangeSox]

I wonder if part of it is because medical costs are so expensive. I went without insurance for many years simply because I couldn't afford it.

 

Yeah, I mentioned earlier that I'd bet on the class divide in life expectancy being due to health care access and not diets. Preventable or easily treatable diseases and ailments go untreated or undiagnosed for longer.

[Jenksismyhero]

I can choose to eat elsewhere. I can choose to drink something else. I can choose to only drink part of the soda, but our brains aren't wired well for that. What I can't choose is to get a 7oz soda to enjoy one but also make sure I only drink 7oz. The default is going to be 24-32oz, and moving the default higher and higher will lead to more people drinking more soda.

 

You're already saying people don't have a choice after they've made the choice of eating at these places. I go to McDonalds all the time for lunch and I don't buy a drink. I bring the food back to my office and have water. I'm not forced to drink soda at all, let alone a 32 oz cup of soda.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Jenksismybitch

[CrimsonWeltall]

That just isnt true. Ive done the math with making tacos. If you buy 1) lean ground beef, 2) flour tortilla and 3) cheese. The price is at minimum 2 dollars per serving, which is not break even with fast food as you also have to include opportunity costs, time, etc. Now when you buy food there is going to be some spoilage, where as if you go to Taco Bell, you dont lose anything to spoilage.

 

Beef and cheese tacos aren't exactly healthy.

 

1 lb of chicken breast: $2

1 lb of potatoes: $1

1 head of cauliflower: $3

seasonings/other: $1

water: $squat

 

Family of four fed a good, healthy meal for $7 plus maybe 40 minutes' effort.

[StrangeSox]

With cheese and fried chicken, the best kind of salads for health.

 

Five years ago, they didn't have salads at all. A quick salad when on the road or running out to grab something for lunch at the office wasn't an offered choice.

[bmags]

You made the claim, you prove it. And tacos aren't exactly "healthy food." I can make you a healthy salad for less then 2 bucks (not that taco bell would be less than 2 bucks once you account for the food and travel).

 

But yes, this is a dumb argument. At the end of the day in 99% of cases making your own food and having left overs is going to be cheaper than getting something pre-made or going out to eat. People choose to be lazy and spend more. I'm fine with that choice as well. It's 'merica dammit.

I have a hard time believing anyone could prove going out will be cheaper than making your own fresh food short of someone taking value menu vs. canned goods.

[StrangeSox]

where are you getting chicken breasts for $2/pound? I want in.

[StrangeSox]

You're already saying people don't have a choice after they've made the choice of eating at these places. I go to McDonalds all the time for lunch and I don't buy a drink. I bring the food back to my office and have water. I'm not forced to drink soda at all, let alone a 32 oz cup of soda.

 

I never said that they didn't have a choice. I said that your choice is constrained by what's offered, and that it's important to look at what's offered.

[Jenksismyhero]

where are you getting chicken breasts for $2/pound? I want in.

 

Pretty sure at sams/costco it's even less than that. I know the package is like 13.99 and i'm sure it's 8-10 lbs of chicken.

[Jenksismyhero]

I never said that they didn't have a choice. I said that your choice is constrained by what's offered, and that it's important to look at what's offered.

 

Sure, but in that discussion we have to keep in mind that the initial choice is still a choice, not a requirement. People can drink water, but they choose to drink soda, and from there, yes, perhaps the serving sizes are "forced" upon you.

[bmags]

Five years ago, they didn't have salads at all. A quick salad when on the road or running out to grab something for lunch at the office wasn't an offered choice.

 

This is untrue, mcdonalds has had salads since I was a child. They had a hardboiled egg in them. I remember them fondly.

[bigruss]

You made the claim, you prove it. And tacos aren't exactly "healthy food." I can make you a healthy salad for less then 2 bucks (not that taco bell would be less than 2 bucks once you account for the food and travel).

 

But yes, this is a dumb argument. At the end of the day in 99% of cases making your own food and having left overs is going to be cheaper than getting something pre-made or going out to eat. People choose to be lazy and spend more. I'm fine with that choice as well. It's 'merica dammit.

 

Ron Swanson, right again.

[LittleHurt05]

That just isnt true. Ive done the math with making tacos. If you buy 1) lean ground beef, 2) flour tortilla and 3) cheese. The price is at minimum 2 dollars per serving, which is not break even with fast food as you also have to include opportunity costs, time, etc. Now when you buy food there is going to be some spoilage, where as if you go to Taco Bell, you dont lose anything to spoilage.

 

I bought some apples yesterday at Jewel, 4 apples, $4. Milk is $3.

 

Like I said, show me some actual numbers. Not just "I went to the store one time and bought a cart of food for under $25."

 

I dont even care about this stupid argument. We all make our choices. If I die early it wont be because I ate fast food or ate healthy, worked out didnt work out, it will be due to taking in excess of $100,000 worth of drugs.

 

 

I should have hung out with you back in my younger days.

[bigruss]

Pretty sure at sams/costco it's even less than that. I know the package is like 13.99 and i'm sure it's 8-10 lbs of chicken.

Frozen chicken breasts yes, the ones in the refrigerated meat section are like 2.89/lb.

[bmags]

Frozen chicken breasts yes, the ones in the refrigerated meat section are like 2.89/lb.

 

Check out the mindgrapes on this guy.

[CrimsonWeltall]

where are you getting chicken breasts for $2/pound? I want in.

 

The crummy Food Lion down the street. I've seen it that low at the nice Harris Teeter as well when they have a special.

 

Even the skinless, totally pre-cleaned tenderloins are only around $4/lb.

[Joxer_Daly]

All this talk of food...

 

And, what the hell am I still doing in work at this time?

 

I'm outta here.