you can do that in a Instapot with no fuss in the same amount of time it would take to make a store meal

There are plently of Quick and Easy ways to make your own healthy meals. For me I do Meal Prep Sundays, and make my own freezer meals. Far cheaper and better than the store bought.

Further I doubt many of them are "working multiple jobs" the vast majority of that junk food it likely coming from government assistance money, disability, etc because if as you said they are "hobbled to their mobility scooter" then chances are they found a doctor to put them on disability

Edit: I remember watching my mom ration her insulin. I sure wish we could have been “welfare leeches” because that would have been super neat.

but no, I dont know anything about being poor....