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It is clear that neither the author not Michael Marmot have ever been in a food store for their weekly food shopping.
A 2.5 kg bag of good quality potatoes cost £2, 1 lb bag of carrots costs £0.40, 1 kg of good quality rice costs £0.40 per kg,and almost 600 gm of boneless chicken breast costs £6.00 thus a total of £8.80. And all this from a good quality supermarket and not some cheap food outlets. This will feed a family of four for one meal with stock items such as potatoes and rice left for a few more meals.
Before I finish this I hear Ah! but they don't have the time. If they are unemployed and in low paid jobs then surely they have more time than me who is working well over 50 hours a week and still manage to make meals.
I would contend that it is more expensive to eat unhealthily.
People on low income do not need to think about cancer in 40 years. An average packet of 20 cigarettes cost nigh on £7.00 and this will feed a family of four very healthily. If only we give this simple message then people will not have to think of their health in 40 years or so.
It is this unmitigated left wing mantra that perpetuates the myth that eating healthy is expensive, keeps people in poverty because they say it's not their fault and they can't do anything. Messages like this keep people trapped in poverty.
To highlight this simple fact will empower at least some people in to taking action and they might become healthy but then they may not see doctors as much. To make this radical shift in doctors' thinking and translating it into action is like turkeys voting for Christmas.
Re: Low paid workers are not paid enough to live healthily, Marmot says
It is clear that neither the author not Michael Marmot have ever been in a food store for their weekly food shopping.
A 2.5 kg bag of good quality potatoes cost £2, 1 lb bag of carrots costs £0.40, 1 kg of good quality rice costs £0.40 per kg,and almost 600 gm of boneless chicken breast costs £6.00 thus a total of £8.80. And all this from a good quality supermarket and not some cheap food outlets. This will feed a family of four for one meal with stock items such as potatoes and rice left for a few more meals.
Before I finish this I hear Ah! but they don't have the time. If they are unemployed and in low paid jobs then surely they have more time than me who is working well over 50 hours a week and still manage to make meals.
I would contend that it is more expensive to eat unhealthily.
People on low income do not need to think about cancer in 40 years. An average packet of 20 cigarettes cost nigh on £7.00 and this will feed a family of four very healthily. If only we give this simple message then people will not have to think of their health in 40 years or so.
It is this unmitigated left wing mantra that perpetuates the myth that eating healthy is expensive, keeps people in poverty because they say it's not their fault and they can't do anything. Messages like this keep people trapped in poverty.
To highlight this simple fact will empower at least some people in to taking action and they might become healthy but then they may not see doctors as much. To make this radical shift in doctors' thinking and translating it into action is like turkeys voting for Christmas.
Competing interests: No competing interests