[newbie12]

Why? Our "poor" have televisions, air conditioning, cars, and homes. There's so much food in America that obesity is a major health issue. This is a profound success and departure from the normal human condition of misery. Please put down the Marxist textbook.

[seanmcdirmid]

> There's so much food in America that obesity is a major health issue.

Sort of stupid. It actually costs money to eat healthy, which many people can't afford in the states (fresh fruits and vegetables, grocery store far away, no car, just by crap at the convenience store then).

The US doesn't compare well to Europe on quality of life for those not in the middle class. Ya, they can afford some crap, but not what they really need to improve their lot (decent food, decent education, healthcare...). The libertarians don't really get that, and think everything is peachy perfect in the states (except for too much socialism).

[barry-cotter]

If you fry frozen vegetables in a wok with butter or oil and some spices it is delicious, healthy and very, very cheap. Adding beans or mincemeat for protein still leaves it at very cheap. I can't speak to the education system or public transport system in the States but frozen vegetables are surely available in most convenience stores, yeah?

[seanmcdirmid]

Not really. Also, frozen vegetables aren't very healthy for you; nutrients are lost in the freezing process. They work well enough for starchy veggies, but these are also the ones that make you fat.

[barry-cotter]

Oh well, I hate driving enough that most of the US is permanently off limits. Freezing does destroy some nutrients but generally a lot less than aging does. Picked from your garden beats frozen but frozen generally beats store bought fresh vegetables. Point on the limited selection but getting fat on a vegetarian diet is not easy unless you eat a crapton of stuff starchier than what you get in frozen veg. Potatoes, rice, pasta.

[seanmcdirmid]

It depends where you buy and what you buy. The poor in developing countries, ironically, get lots of vegetables and can be pretty fit (compared to ours at least). People don't really get fat because they eat too much meat (they can, just not common); its more the sugary and starchy processed foods that do it...and those sell like crack in the developed world.

Of course, one could always hit the gym...if they have enough money (or just move to California and ride a bike everywhere...if they have enough money).

[jfoutz]

I'm just gonna throw this out there... "In sum, we estimate that, as of the beginning of 2011, about 1.46 million U.S. households with about 2.8 million children were surviving on $2 or less in income per person per day in a given month."

http://npc.umich.edu/publications/policy_briefs/brief28/poli...

[refurb]

That's an interesting stat, but it confusing. Is this a case where people are not taking advantage of the social services offered? $2/day works out to $300 for a family of five.

This reminds me of Medicaid in the US. Something like 20% of the uninsured in America are actually qualified for free healthcare, but don't enroll.