Hillarysworld

The New York Times, Economix blog

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March 9, 2010, 11:56 am

Why a Big Mac Costs Less Than a Salad

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

1:35 p.m. | Updated

The Consumerist recently linked to this remarkable chart:

The chart was put together by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, but its figures still, alas, look quite relevant. Thanks to lobbying, Congress chooses to subsidize foods that we’re supposed to eat less of.

Of course, there are surely other reasons why burgers are cheaper than salads. These might include production costs, since harvesting apples is probably more naturally seasonal than slaughtering cows (even though both are in demand year-round). Transportation and storage costs might also play a role, as it’s probably easier to keep ground beef fresh and edible for extended periods of time, by freezing it, than cucumbers.

Whatever the cause of the pricing change, there is little doubt that many healthful foods have gotten much more expensive relative to unhealthful ones. David Leonhardt showed this in another remarkable chart, published here last year, that displays how the prices of different food groups have changed relative to their pricing 30 years ago:

You can find his commentary on this chart here. For more on the relationship between food pricing and obesity, go here.

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Very revealing blog in NYTimes. I thought this is one of the best expose's on the matter.

I hope things get changed structurally, or there is no hope for the fruits and vegetables... nor for our children's health.