Healthy food good for health but hard on the purse

A new study has found that while the cost of fresh food is becoming more and more expensive junk food is becoming cheaper.

According to the researchers this price hike in healthy food could explain to some extent why obesity rates are highest among the poorest Americans.

The researchers from the University of Washington found when they looked at retail prices at major supermarket chains in Seattle, that low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods -- mainly fruits and vegetables -- were far more expensive, calorie for calorie, than sweets and snack foods.

They also say the average price of the lowest-calorie foods, including green vegetables, tomatoes and berries, increased by almost 20% over 2 years while there was a 2% drop in the same time period in the cost of the most calorie-laden fare, such as butter, potato chips, cookies and candy bars.

Researchers Dr. Pablo Monsivais and Dr. Adam Drewnowski say calorie-dense foods remain the most affordable option, as the price of the recommended healthful foods of lower (calorie) density has disproportionately increased.

They suggest the government may need to make policy shifts that help people eat more healthful foods such as changes in the way the government subsidizes the agricultural industry.

Their study examined the prices of 372 foods and beverages at Seattle supermarket chains in 2004 and 2006 and they found that snack foods, sweets and fatty foods offered the most for a shopper's money.

The 20-percent increase in the cost of the lowest-calorie foods may be putting healthful foods out of reach for those Americans who need these foods the most.

According to the researchers the 20-percent increase in the cost of the lowest-calorie foods may be putting healthy foods beyond the reach of the very Americans who need such foods the most.

The research is published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.