That was a very interesting article! I have always been perplexed by the inverse relationship between income and weight. When I have been tight on funds (and I have been very tight lately), my weight has gone down, as I have had to eliminate "junk" foods in my diet. This is not a bad thing! 
   
  Theoretically, pre-packaged foods are more expensive than whole foods. However, when we have been exceptionally low on money, I have used coupons and the like to buy a week of groceries for a VERY small amount of money. When I need to do this, the processed crap is much less expensive than whole foods. How sad. Perhaps part of it is the reality that if you only have $20 to spend on groceries, you will buy whatever is cheapet in the short-run, especially if your pantry is rather bare. Yes, it is cheaper for me to make a well-balanced meal from fresh foods if I am looking at long-term spending and therefore buy in bulk. But, if I have only a little to spend, I am more likely to buy a pre-packaged meal that will feed my family NOW. It's cheaper to go to a warehouse store and buy 5 pounds of chicken breasts than it is to buy 1 pound today. However, if I only have $20, I will go to the grocery store and buy a little of this, a little of that. I wind up buying many items on
 sale that I would never choose if I had the freedom to buy in advance. Still, there is no money left over for crappy foods like chips, sodas, and the like. Even a processed meal made up of slightly OK foods is not going to make your children fat, if you limit sodas, sweets, etc.
   
  I wonder if the dismal state of our school lunches and breakfasts are partly to blame. Most poor families qualify for free breakfast and lunch. When I look at the offerings, I am appaled by how high in fat and low in veggies and fiber these meals are. When you buy your breakfast and lunch at school, there is no one there to monitor what, exactly, you eat. If I offered my children (4 1/2 and 2 1/2) the buffet offered at our local public school, they would tank up on processed chicken tenders, chips and the like. Without my watchful eye, they would eat french fries for a veggie, instead of broccoli.
   
  Still, I cannot comprehend how a low-income family has the money to spend on the junk food that makes 3-year-olds fat. Even on our limited food budget, my children are healthy and strong. The money is simply not available to buy things such as ice cream, chocolate and candy, which is a VERY good thing. Perhaps my "poor" family is making different choices due to Mom's and Dad's upbringing? The idea that one should buy veggies and protein when funds are tight as opposed to dessert is second nature to me. I am loathe to believe that I am any more concerned with the health of my children that other low-income families. I am not imbued with a wealth of intellect, either. I just try to be a thoughtful parent. There is a wealth of free information available to parents on proper nutrition, as are assistance programs and charitable food banks in my area. Why then, are so many children, especially low-income children, overweight? I am sure that some of it is due to the feeding of
 formula to these kiddos, but that cannot be the whole story.
   
  Veggies, lean meat, whole grains, fruit = good.
  Fatty processed meat, candy, fried foods, undiluted fruit juice in excess, sugar, soda = bad
   
  What am I missing?

Kellie
  Interesting article on ABC News, here are a few quotes:

<<"We have known for a long time that obesity is disproportionately related
to income," he said. "The poorer you are, the more likely that you are
obese."

...
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