It costs more to eat healthy

A recent study delivers findings that don't exactly shock us, particularly with news that Wendy's just rolled out a 99 cent double cheeseburger on its value menu. The gist of a recent study published in the December Journal of the American Dietetic Association is that it costs more to eat healthy. From the journal's Web site, this abstract about the study, titled "The that Rising Cost of Low Energy Density Foods," by Pablo Monsivais and Adam Drewnowski.

Background

Consuming lower-energy-density foods is one recommended strategy for management of body weight. This cross-sectional study used retail food prices to test the hypothesis that low-energy-density foods are not only more costly per kilocalorie, but have increased disproportionately in price as compared to high-energy-density foods.

Design

For a list of 372 foods and beverages belonging to a food frequency questionnaire database, retail prices were obtained from major supermarket chains in the Seattle, WA, metropolitan area in 2004 and 2006. Energy density of all items was calculated and prices were expressed as $/100 g edible portion and as $/1,000 kcal. Foods were stratified by quintiles of energy density and the differences in energy cost and in percent price change were tested using analyses of variance.

Results

High-energy-density foods provided the most dietary energy at least cost. Energy cost of foods in the bottom quintile of energy density, beverages excluded, was $18.16/1,000 kcal as compared to only $1.76/1,000 kcal for foods in the top quintile. The 2-year price change for the least energy-dense foods was +19.5%, whereas the price change for the most energy-dense foods was −1.8%.

Conclusion

The finding that energy-dense foods are not only the least expensive, but also most resistant to inflation, may help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means. The sharp price increase for the low-energy-density foods suggests that economic factors may pose a barrier to the adoption of more healthful diets and so limit the impact of dietary guidance.

TK: Coverage of this story suggests the need for changes in government policies to help people eat more fruits and vegetables. The WIC food package rule and the expansion of the fruit and vegetable program is a start, but much more needs to be done. "Little Debbie" - she of the 99 cent sugar-infused snack fame - continues to rear her winsome head in discussions of nutrition and affordability of food.