I totally agree with that last part Metal.

How are low income families (who by the way still make to much for government assistance) supposed to eat healthy when they can't afford too. It is much cheaper to go and buy a bag of chips and a soda then it is to buy vegetables.

That is a fact I was alluding to. Rice and beans are cheap but you have to eat too much of them to get enough balanced protein. Soybeans have balanced protein but are expensive. Cheap cuts of meat are actually lower in fat than expensive cuts.

There are solutions. Eggs are cheap and have the purist form of protein available. Education helps a lot by knowing how to balance a menu with filling and nutritious foods.

A parent should know what their kids are eating and be prepared to provide an adequate amount of protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, etc. Modern labels are pretty good about telling what is in a serving and how big a serving is. Of course some are just stupid like a can of juice with one and one half servings! Good grief, everybody just drinks the container! Obviously, most people don't have the time or inclination to sit down every evening and calculate all the calories and nutrients the family ate that day but doing it once could change some attitudes about that coke and Doritos and maybe switch to the dollar menu chicken sandwich instead.

In Europe, the governments generally subsidize the farms and farmers, not the crop. A small farmer quickly learns he can make more money growing broccoli than corn ... if there is a market. The government should focus on small farmers, not agribusiness like Monsanto.

Breakfast cereals with added sugar should be avoided. A box of healthy cereal generally costs about the same as the junk version. A healthy start to each day makes a big difference in total caloric intake.

Americans eat too many calories and not enough nutrients.

Breakfast cereals with added sugar should be avoided.

I agree. You are very well informed, Metalwing. My family and I are low income, but we eat about 80% raw: mostly fruits and vegetables, very little "white" or processed foods and one cooked meal a day. We rarely eat cereal and bread, only certain types of dairy, and few grains. The diet sounds limited (think "paleo") but really it's healthier.

The main reason for obesity is a change in diet. The US has undergone a dramatic change over the past 100 years. What used to be the standard (a plate of food containing a reasonable portion of protein and some vegetables) has turned into pizza, burgers, and fries to the extent that thousands of calories get added unnoticed each year. The addition of high fructose corn syrup to most processed food adds additional empty calories and creates a craving for the same junk.

Vendors are now selling junk food at public schools and high sugar items such as chocolate milk are offered as normal food instead of a treat.

Countries who have adopted American style eating habits and menus are getting fat too.

A small minority of the population will gain weight due to genetics but the vast majority simply eats the wrong type and amount of food, and gets too little exercise.

The US government subsidizes low nutrient food like corn which make high fructose corn syrup super cheap (push that soda!). High nutrient density foods like cantaloupe, broccoli, and spinach get little or no subsidy so cost a lot more per calorie.

And then there are the marketing aspects. How can diet mayo cost more than real mayo when they substitute water for much of the fat? Fat cost more than water! Why? Because people with pay more for anything with the word "diet" printed on the label.

Gads I'm hungry! I think I'll go get a double cheeseburger ... nature's most perfect food!