Saturday, June 7: That’s the gist of a new Reuters/Zogby poll showing that people would rather let their car sit in the driveway than cut down on eating their favorite foods. When I see a news story say “favorite foods,” I’m thinking fried chicken, double-deluxe cheeseburgers, mountains of fries, and ice cream extravaganzas. It seems like very few are interested in cutting back there, so it’s no wonder why we’re not at our Perfect Weight.
Here we are, in the midst of record-breaking increases in the cost of oil, gasoline, and food, but when respondents to the Reuters/Zogby poll were asked if they were willing to eat less to cope with rising food prices, only 8 percent raised their hands. Hunger will win out every time.
I would imagine that soaring energy costs and hikes in food prices are causing millions of families to adjust their lifestyles. We’re in the same boat: I know that we don’t jump in the car and run over to Nutrition S’Mart when we’re low on organic cashews like we used to. We snack on something else in the pantry and try to combine our shopping trips for fuel efficiency.
There’s no doubt that millions of Americans are feeling the economic pinch, and choices must be made. Choosing to eat greasy fast foods or boxed frozen dinners, however, would be like choosing to fill your car’s fuel tank with cheap, low-octane gas when your body needs premium. Sure, you’re going to get to where you want to go on the cheap gas, but your engine will be knocking and sooner or later—probably sooner—you’ll have an expensive car repair bill on your hands.
As I’m fond of saying, do you want to pay the farmer now for eating fresh, organic foods, or do you want to pay the doctor later when ill health visits you long before you grow old? My vote is to put my money where my mouth is.