"Does this grocery store make me look fat?"
You may ask yourself that question after reading a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that the more upscale the grocery store, the fewer overweight shoppers it has.
An analysis of Seattle-area shoppers between December 2008 and March 2009 found that only 4% of Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) patrons were obese. At the bottom of the list were stores where cheap food is in abundance: Kroger (NYSE: KR)-owned Fred Meyer at 22%, Safeway (NYSE: SWY) at 24%, and Albertsons tipping the scales at 38%.
The takeaway? Poverty correlates with obesity. As researcher Adam Drewnowski states, it's cheaper to eat ready-made, calorie-dense foods than it is to eat nutritious, high-quality fare.
According to MSNBC:
It's not a matter of availability, Drewnowski said. All of the stores in his study stocked a wide range of nutritious food, including plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Instead, he contends it's because healthy, low-calorie foods cost more money and take more effort to prepare than processed, high-calorie foods. In a separate study two years ago, Drewnowski estimated that a calorie-dense diet cost $3.52 a day compared with $36.32 a day for a low-calorie diet.
What's your take? Is your waistline correlated with your wallet, or is there more to the story? Weigh in below with your comments.
