[piiswrong]

more than 1/3 of Americans are obese. the US is one of the fattest countries in the world. Does that mean Americans are poor people who can only afford empty calories? wake up. people just like to eat unhealthy stuff when given the chance?.

[winfred]

>Does that mean Americans are poor people who can only afford empty calories?

I don't know if it's because they can't afford better or don't want to eat better, but in the US there is a considerable relationship between income/education and obesity. The poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese. 50% of the US makes less than $30k a year, and that group probably amounts to somewhere around 75% of the obese people.

https://www.stateofobesity.org/socioeconomics-obesity/

[kube-system]

I don’t think the difference is due to income directly, but more to do with class/social expectations. Eating is a very social activity, and the way people eat is strongly linked to their individual and group identity.

Healthy eating simply isn’t prioritized by some people/groups, and others don’t value it at all.

[legostormtroopr]

> Does that mean Americans are poor people who can only afford empty calories?

Yes, of course. Is this rhetorical? Obesity and wealth are highly correlated.

[mstaoru]

In pure dollars, Americans might be richer than Chinese, in food (dollar per calorie) purchasing power... perhaps not.