BMC/Drexel Report Finds Food Prices In Boston And Philadelphia 50 Percent Higher

More good news!

"Researchers from the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) at Boston Medical Center and Drexel University School of Public Health, have reported that low-income families in Boston and Philadelphia using food stamp benefits do not have the financial resources to buy the Thrifty Food Plan, the standardized food plan used as the basis for calculating food stamp benefits by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even families receiving the maximum food stamp benefit would have to spend an additional $2,250 in Boston and $3,165 in Philadelphia annually to purchase the Thrifty Food Plan."

Since there are many who (wrongly) conclude that overweight/obesity results from poverty, this is a real blessing for them.

Higher costs = less purchased food, which should = fewer Calories, which should = either weight loss or a halt in the progression of weight gain.

Too bad the researchers are imbeciles.

"'C-SNAP's latest report, "Coming up short: High food costs outstrip food stamp benefits,' shows that, on average, the maximum food stamp benefit is insufficient to buy the Thrifty Food Plan in any size food store in participating neighborhoods in Boston and Philadelphia. Moreover, the researchers found it very difficult for families in the surveyed neighborhoods to find healthy foods - on average 27 percent of the items that make up the Thrifty Food Plan were missing, predominantly the healthier options like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat milk and cheese."

As there are no "healthy" foods, all this effort is wasted and misleading.

Oh, well.

Nothing new here.