Study Finds Eating Healthy Is Not More Expensive |
Children Playing on the Beach (© Chris Johnson | Dreamstime.com)
Those who say that eating a well-balanced diet is just too expensive will be surprised to learn that healthy eating is actually cheaper, according to research conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Behavioral psychologist Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD and her colleagues studied 30 families with at least one obese child. The families were put on a diet encouraging the consumption of high-nutrient, low-fat foods, including most fruits and vegetables, and slightly higher fat, but also nutritious foods, while limiting high-fat, less nutritious foods.
After six months, the researchers found that on the whole the families greatly reduced the number of calories in their diets without any increase in the amount they spent on food. But after one year they found that the families' daily food cost was much less than it was at the start of the treatment. They speculate that eating a diet centered on fruit, vegetables and whole grains and cooking at home made the difference.
Studies among elementary school-age children in New York State have found that one in four children suffers from obesity. Purveyors of junk food make it very convenient to get meals full of unhealthy fat, high in sodium, and low in nutrients. With many millions of dollars spent annually on advertising aimed at kids they pose a tremendous challenge to families concerned with weight loss and weight control, but those who surmount the challenge will enjoy better health and a healthier family budget. Now wouldn’t that be nice!
For a full article on the topic at the Bio-Medicine web site go to: Eating healthy is cost effective
To view previous posts on the topic go to:
1. Parents Believe Kids Have Too Much Access to Junk Food
2. Ads Make Junk Food Sound Healthy for Kids
3. Shameless Marketing of Junk Food to Kids
4. TV’s Fast Food Ads Contribute to Obesity of Children
5. Food Giants Still Marketing Junk Food to Kids
6. Junk Foods a Health Risk for Kids
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Comments
I completely agree that eating healthier is less expensive, as I have been on both ends of the spectrum. It is more difficult however to find reasonably priced fresh ingredients year-round in my location. My solution has been to spend much of the late summer canning, freezing & dehydrating ingredients, so I will have what I need when the prices for these are at their highest. I also adjust menus & recipes when needed to take advantage of last-minute sales that pop up. Also, as I have become an internet shopper, I frequently use a select few sites to purchase items that are unavailable locally, or only available at grocery-shelf quality. I am pleased to have found American Feasts & have added it to my list of internet food shopping sites. Buying from sustainable farms is so important & the quality is far above what we imagine.
Posted by: Linda | October 17, 2009 01:41 PM