-- Lining up for NZ's Food Insecurity Card
Des O'Dea
Health Economist
Otago University
Dear Des
I must say your food insecurity card is a tasty idea.
Especially for a fat guy like me, who struggles to resist calorie dense options, like mince and cheese pies and butter chicken.
Mmmmm. You see, I’m salivating already.
Anyway, I see that it’s only available to “low and middle-income families” which puts it out of my reach (by global health and government standards I’m fat and rich).
You say the starved of cash tend to high-energy foods.
Frankly, though, in my high-income experience I’ve never consumed so many calories. When you’ve got money to spend you go for the good (bad) stuff.
I figure the assumption is that my high-income status makes me smarter and less prone to fast-food temptation than low-income types. Yes?
So, putting the food insecurity card into my soft sweaty hand would be a waste. I should know better.
But then I think back to my University days (not so long ago) when I really was starved of cash (and, strangely, much skinnier than I am today), and reflect on the satisfaction that came from making rice, chuck steak and peas so darn tasty.
Which I guess poses the question:
Is effectively lowering the price of “healthy foods”, by using things like your insecurity card, going to change anything for low-income earners, who it seems are much like high-income earners and don’t really care about healthy eating options or obesity?
Food for thought.
On a different track, have you thought about subsidizing bicycle ownership?
Get more of us on to bikes, which is known to melt lard from saggy behinds.
Might also help with easing congestion and reducing CO2 emissions.
A much healthier carrot in my mind.
Yours in insecurity
Lester
Health Economist
Otago University
Dear Des
I must say your food insecurity card is a tasty idea.
Especially for a fat guy like me, who struggles to resist calorie dense options, like mince and cheese pies and butter chicken.
Mmmmm. You see, I’m salivating already.
Anyway, I see that it’s only available to “low and middle-income families” which puts it out of my reach (by global health and government standards I’m fat and rich).
You say the starved of cash tend to high-energy foods.
Frankly, though, in my high-income experience I’ve never consumed so many calories. When you’ve got money to spend you go for the good (bad) stuff.
I figure the assumption is that my high-income status makes me smarter and less prone to fast-food temptation than low-income types. Yes?
So, putting the food insecurity card into my soft sweaty hand would be a waste. I should know better.
But then I think back to my University days (not so long ago) when I really was starved of cash (and, strangely, much skinnier than I am today), and reflect on the satisfaction that came from making rice, chuck steak and peas so darn tasty.
Which I guess poses the question:
Is effectively lowering the price of “healthy foods”, by using things like your insecurity card, going to change anything for low-income earners, who it seems are much like high-income earners and don’t really care about healthy eating options or obesity?
Food for thought.
On a different track, have you thought about subsidizing bicycle ownership?
Get more of us on to bikes, which is known to melt lard from saggy behinds.
Might also help with easing congestion and reducing CO2 emissions.
A much healthier carrot in my mind.
Yours in insecurity
Lester
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