Fighting illegal farm workers to stop the Obesity Epidemic

[Jacobtm]

American food is produced with cheap, illegal labor. If all farmworkers were legal, the price of food would have to go up. This would be fantastic for America's obesity epidemic.

I am generally in favor of immigration, and think legal immigration should be greatly expanded. But if the gov't wants to crack down on farms specifically, well I think that the increase in food costs would be a great way to help America overcome its Obesity Epidemic.

Only problem is the gov't would probably just subsidize farmers more of illegal labor were somehow irradicated. Thiough in this age of fiscal austerity, maybe that wouldn't be SO easy...

[John Dibble]

So your solution to the obesity problem is to make food more expensive? Yeah, that's kind of dumb.

A lot of the people who are obese are that way because they eat lots of food that isn't exactly healthy. Quite often that kind of food is what is actually really cheap to eat. If you raise the cost of food, then the price of the healthy options also increases. That puts those options further from the reach of those who have less money, and so they'll be even more inclined than before to eat the cheap, unhealthy options because that's what they'll be able to afford.

[SteveRogers]

This would be fantastic for America's obesity epidemic.

No it wouldn't.

[DrScholl]

I'm not sure if this is serious or not, but it's very clearly not a good idea to anything. The price of food going up more is the last burden many people need.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

As an attempt at political humor it is fairly underwhelming, while as serious political consideration, it is extremely misguided.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Dude, the farm workers are working with the healthy stuff (crops).

[Ban my account ffs!]

This is one of the dumbest arguments I've heard.. no offense personally...

What kind of foods do you suppose would become more expensive if we stopped Juan and Carlos from working on the farm?  I'll tell you right now:  It ain't grains (wheat, corn).  It'd be all the healthy stuff that has to be picked.. like strawberries or grapes or oranges or whathaveyou.

Besides, eating isn't even half the story.  Americans are fat because they're lazy.  They sit in front of computers and TVs all the time and don't do any hard work... yet we still eat like we're out in the fields all day.

Back in the day, people didn't eat healthy.  They ate fatty, high cholesterol-laden foods all the time.  Sure, they were skinny.. but they were also dead at 55 due to a massive heart attack or stroke.

This weird romanticized unrealistic view of hte past that we have today is killing us.  If we're going to lose weight and be healthy, we have to look FORWARD, not backward.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The subsidies are a big problem. It doesn't look like Monterey County, California is getting the subsidies that it deserves.  Probably because they're a solid blue county in a solid blue state.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

]Besides, eating isn't even half the story.  Americans are fat because they're lazy.  They sit in front of computers and TVs all the time and don't do any hard work... yet we still eat like we're out in the fields all day.

Well I guess getting rid of illegal immigrants could solve that problem too.

[dead0man]

Paying farm workers a living wage would be a step in the right direction, but alas, more people care about cheap food than they do the dirty brown people picking their apples.

[Jacobtm]

Americans are fat because they're lazy.  They sit in front of computers and TVs all the time and don't do any hard work... yet we still eat like we're out in the fields all day.

Guess we should put more Americans out in the fields to work, on the farms.

[Link]

So your solution to the obesity problem is to make food more expensive? Yeah, that's kind of dumb.

A lot of the people who are obese are that way because they eat lots of food that isn't exactly healthy. Quite often that kind of food is what is actually really cheap to eat. If you raise the cost of food, then the price of the healthy options also increases. That puts those options further from the reach of those who have less money, and so they'll be even more inclined than before to eat the cheap, unhealthy options because that's what they'll be able to afford.

I disagree with this premise.  If you cook at home eating healthy is pretty cheap.  An entire head of lettuce costs $1-$2 depending on where you live.  A good sized vine ripened tomato is what $2 maybe.  You could serve your family one salad a day for a month without breaking the bank.  Water is free.  Eggs are pretty cheap.  White egg yolk is a good source of protein.  Whole grain bread isn't exorbitantly expensive.  Oatmeal is cheaper than lucky charms.  Fat free milk isn't expensive.

Food in this country is definitely too cheap.  The OP has a good point.  The only problem is certain niche products like strawberries would definitely shoot up way up in price.  Strawberries are not a staple so I could definitely see their use falling.  But even if the price of lettuce doubled I don't see myself really even noticing.

[dead0man]

Your post would make sense if Dibble had said it was impossible to eat cheap and healthy at the same time.  He didn't.  In real life, some people eat healthy, some people eat cheaply but very very few do both.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

My theory is this: Obesity has reached epidemic levels because people spend too much time in front of computers. We can reduce this problem by banning people who say stupid stuff -- like that obesity is tied to loose borders -- from posting here, thus freeing them up to enjoy a more active lifestyle outdoors.