Stay with me, here. I know this is not a popular viewpoint on DailyKos, and it is certainly not one that I ever thought I would voice. But just give me a minute to support my claim...
Wednesday, clone12 posted a diary in which Rush Limbaugh's latest lunatic ranting was discussed, specifically that the government is killing the poor with too much food through the food stamp program. I myself had been musing about the correlation that was being drawn between high obesity rates and poorer states. Could it be that Rush was right?
Well, no, of course he wasn't.
The stupidity of Rush's claim is evident to anyone who has been to a grocery store lately. This is yet another reality that I don't think people who have plenty of money (Hello? W?) understand.
If you check the website of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, you'll see that he is supporting an effort called Steptember, which calls for people to add 2,000 steps and reduce 100 calories daily. He has even "put his money where his mouth is" by committing to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year. He claims that if he can do it, all of us can do it.
This is certainly an admirable goal, and there's no way to fault someone for encouraging a healthier way of life for himself and his fellow Virginians. But his claim that if "he can do it we all can" illustrates what he and Rush don't understand. Healthy food is expensive. Buying the free-range, no steroid, low-fat ground sirloin costs you upwards of $5 a pound (at least here in SW VA), but the higher fat ground beef can be picked up on sale for as low as $1.79 a pound. A loaf of white bread is about $1.09. A (smaller) loaf of the healthier whole wheat bread is often $1+ more expensive. A dozen cage free steroid free eggs are $2.79, while a dozen regular eggs are $0.89. Healthier foods are generally more expensive than their nutrient-devoid cheap cousins. People who can barely afford the gas to get them to the grocery store cannot afford to buy the healthier food that will help them avoid overweight and the myriad health problems associated with it.
But what about exercise? Lt. Gov. Bolling is going to add 2 miles walking to his daily routine. But how can people working two jobs for $6 an hour also find time to walk? They can't afford to take the time off work, and they sure as hell can't afford to join a health club. While everyone should be able to find 30 minutes a day to squeeze in some exercise, people who don't have funds and support to help with housework, child care, home gym equipment, etc., are always going to have a harder time consistently finding that 30 minutes.
I am not saying that personal choice is not part of the problem. I know a lot of people (myself included) are not as healthy as they could be due to overeating and a lack of commitment to daily exercise. But I also know that people who are trying to stretch their food dollars (and stamps) to last all month cannot always make the best choices, or the choices they would like to make. When the choice is between no food and poor quality food, you really don't have a choice. Add to this a lack of health care, and it's no wonder that people in poverty are not as healthy as those with enough or too much money. Despite Rush's claims, this is yet another example of how our government's pathetic treatment of and policies toward lower income Americans are literally killing our nation.