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People are eating fattier, more sugary diets because as food has gotten cheaper, they have chosen to consume more of the things that aren't good for us.] This is nitpicking, but that quote is absolutely typical of the way obesity among the poor is presented in the media: low-income people features are framed features as hapless victims rather than agents. This is bad for two reasons. First, it distorts people's beliefs about what sorts of policy interventions are likely to succeed--if you believe the average news article, features it would be easy to decide that the best way to lick obesity would be to air-lifting rhubarb and radishes into East New York, and pay doctors to harangue people. Whereas if you spend some time with actual people in, say, assisted housing, you'll find that they, like everyone else know a) what makes you fat b) that being fat is unhealthy c) that you can easily buy fresh fruit if you cut out the slurpees They're not stupid, and they're not particularly ignorant, though they're probably not as up on the ins-and-outs of saturated fats and Omega-3's as your average food-obsessed young professional.
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