Re:Obesity and Overweight Prevalence for the U.S
by ghaff on Friday February 23, 2018 @03:14PM
(#16449123)
For whatever reason, there seems to be a gap in the US between convenience store and full-fledged grocery store. There are various mostly non-chain markets in many cities but, for the most part, you either have pretty much junk food or you have to find a big grocery store. In London at least there are a lot more of the Sainsbury Local or other chains that don't have the selection of a bigger store but aren't just junk either.
Re:Obesity and Overweight Prevalence for the U.S
by lozenge on Friday February 23, 2018 @05:36PM
(#16450225)
It's the walkability again. If I'm getting in a car, I may as well go somewhere that will have everything I could possibly need.
Also, I do feel the store you mention, and similar ones, are de-emphasising veg in favour of higher margin packaged/processed items. Although, they are wildly optimised for each store placement so it is difficult to tell.
Re:Obesity and Overweight Prevalence for the U.S
by seanmcdirmid on Friday February 23, 2018 @03:50PM
(#16449490)
This isn't really a fair comparison: not a lot of people in the states buy food at 7/11, while it is much more common in Japan. With the volume that 7/11's do in the states, they can't really support bento boxes or whatever you'd find at the grocery store lunch counters (which, actually, are very comparable to Japan 7/11, but not as widespread).
What's the healthiest thing you can get in a 7/11 in the States? An apple? One of those shitty packaged sandwiches that has a slice of ham with a mysterious wad of splooge? A hotdog that's been turning on the spit all day?
Then you realize this is how it is every step of the way. It's a cultural problem. With a lot of the world trailing right behind.
You can blame everything on personal choice, and that might make you feel good, but that doesn't help us solve systemic issues.
I live in Mexico now which has some of the worst obesity issues as well due to their soft drink consumption. They just had a president that was the ex-president of Coca Cola.
> It was during the Fox's leadership of Coca-Cola Mexico that Coke became Mexico's top-selling soft drink, increasing Coca-Cola's sales by almost 50%.
But Mexico still has healthy enough food that's readily available. Getting a bag of chips from 7/11 has to compete with a just-as-cheap taco stand right outside. I find it easy to eat pretty healthy here for that reason. I love some tacos and nopal salad.
Meanwhile in Austin you can't even find a taquero outside of East Riverside.
And, of course, the lack of walkability in the US is horrifying. I don't ever want to live somewhere where I can't walk to a fruit stand or cafe ever again. I think of any time I've felt dullness in my life and every time it was at a point in my life where I had to drive everywhere. Like playing an open-world game and only using fast travel, missing out on all the small interactions that turn out to be the spice of life.