By Max McAuliff, Opinion Editor
A lot of people tried to reinvent themselves over quarantine, whether it was picking up a new hobby, working out at home or learning a new skill. One thing that many people tried to do was begin to eat healthy. Eating healthy is not as simple as buying healthy food and making it, however.
Somebody that has not eaten healthy for a large portion of their life will not have a palette for healthy food. It is still difficult to eat healthy even after one’s palette becomes accustomed to healthier foods. Healthy food is far more expensive and a lot more work than unhealthy food is.
The most recent numbers show that the obesity rate in America is around 40%. This number is shocking yes, but if looked at deeper it is not surprising. Advertisements for unhealthy foods are far more popular than advertisements for healthy foods.
The McDonald’s golden arches are staples of American society. When thinking of McDonald’s does one think of healthy food? Most likely not. People think of Big Macs, McNuggets and Shamrock Shakes. McDonald’s constantly has advertisements in the media, and those advertisements focus on price and ease of eating at McDonald’s.
Marketing is the biggest reason why 40% of Americans are obese and its because marketers are good at their job. Strategically airing Buffalo Wild Wings and Budweiser commercials on Sunday afternoons during NFL football is marketing gold. Marketers do a great job at marketing their products. The only thing is that a lot of these products are unhealthy.
If one wants to eat healthy, they must make the food themselves and that’s where things can get expensive. To have a nutritious meal with protein, grains and vegetables, one would have to spend money on all those things. Buying salmon, rice and vegetables can be more expensive and a lot more work than going to McDonald’s for a Big Mac.
The biggest deterrent to eating healthy is money. Buying the ingredients to make homemade lasagna is going to cost more money than buying a frozen lasagna and simply putting it in the oven. Healthy snack foods are also another expensive item, contrary to a bag of potato chips or pretzels.
People who workout might want to start working protein supplements into their diet which becomes another expense. A 2.5 lb. container of Muscle Milk protein powder comes out to a whopping $30.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that eating healthy is not cheap. One must be ready to fully commit to a healthy lifestyle if they want to journey down that road.
mcaulimr18@bonaventure.edu
