Why is it so expensive to be skinny?

So what's the deal? I'm starting to believe that there is a massive fat conspiracy in the US. It goes something like this... $1.49 for a yellow pepper or $.99 for a McDonald's cheeseburger. $29 a month for unlimited tv or $69 a month gym membership.

What brought this to my attention (again...)? Yesterday, while picking up an air filter at my local Ace store, it hit me, I was STARVING and needed a snack. What were my options? Soda, so-called energy drinks, the $.59 cent candy at the check out, taco bell across the street, or god forbid the dairy queen next door. For those of you wondering, I got the $.59 cent cherry candies... it resembled a fruit if nothing else.

So why is it that the only "cheap" "fast food" "healthy" restaurant around is a smoothie company so heavily laden with fructose and carbs that they can't bring themselves out of a sugar induced coma? And don't get me started on the cost of fitness! Yoga, gym membership and dance run me over $200 a month... A MONTH! And swimming this summer?! Not if I want to pay my mortgage.

So what are we supposed to do about it?

In California, they've been talking about putting a tax on sugary treats and sodas just like the tax on cigarettes. Hm... did taxing cigarettes stop smokers? Let's think about this one more another time.

Another idea... In the news today, two local non profits recieved a hefty amount of federal grant money to reduce obesity in children in CA by 2015. One of the major issues they are looking into is bring a grocery store into their town to provide fresh food options instead of a trip to see Little Debbie at the corner store. I have to say, although I generally disapprove of my tax dollars being spent on non profit endeavors, this seems to be a last good resort to begin restoring health in our community.

What do you think? How do we make healthy food options more affordable and more prevalent? How do we make fitness more affordable?

Happy Monday

- the little sister- EM