As I flip through the channels one morning, from
news station to news station, I cannot help but notice the constant stories
concerning obesity, especially the growing number of children becoming obese,
which now includes over one-third of all children and adolescents. And for a
majority of the country, the cost of fresh, healthy food is a big reason why
parents are struggling to put nutritious food on the table, and also a big
reason in why your son is starting to form a belly as soon as he becomes a
teenager. A change has to be made, and it all starts at the grocery store, when
choosing how much to pay and what type of meal to put out for your family. Why
is the price of food going up so dramatically, and what kinds of things can you
do, as parents, to ensure your kids are eating healthy?
Climate change, a sudden rise or drop in the
temperature of the Earth, is an extremely relevant issue in determining why
food prices are increasing. Lester Brown, author of “Rising Temperatures, Rising
Food Prices” says, “With each passing year, the agricultural system is becoming
more out of sync with the climate system.” Meaning, the farmer’s crops they are
hoping to sell will not be as full as prior years and the stores will have to
buy them for more money. And, of course, with the rise in price of production,
consumers can be sure to feel the heat of rising prices at the cash register,
as well. When interviewing Josh Chilcott, nutritional science PhD student at SUNY Buffalo, he stated that “climate change is an aspect of
global warming, but solely focused on the temperature and weather patterns of
the Earth. If the rate continues, which it should, prices of milk, bread, and
other necessities could be double in another twenty years or so.” These are
scary predictions, and if the economy stays the way it is, it will be much
harder to pay for groceries, especially for you parents out there with multiple
children.
Food shortage affects everyone; however, the Unite
States has enough food. The problem is, that in order to stock the shelves of
Wegmans’ and Tops’ around the country, stores are purchasing groceries from
countries around the world (where they have a severe lack of food) for an
obviously higher price. This results in, you guessed it, a much bigger hole in
your pocket. The price of three basic essentials for cooking pretty much
anything (corn, wheat, sugar) is dependent on the farmer’s crop of that good.
Since the price of these three goods have increased by over twenty percent in
the last twenty years, the shortage is more relevant than ever. In my talk with
Josh Chilcott, he said that “with the combination of climate change and
shortages in foreign countries, food prices are going to begin rising
immensely.”. Do not take this issue lightly; food continues to dwindle so much
that people around the world are losing their lives because of it. Even in
places where the shortage isn’t as big of a concern, like the United States,
the impact is still felt, only on the price tag instead.
Food corporations are always trying to get the leg
up on the competition. How do they do that in a food market in which all
options seem rather similar? With state-of-the-art technology, world-renowned
experts, and through advertising, companies strive to be unique. And what do
all of these tactics have in common? They cost lots and lots of money.
Advertising itself could be a reason why food prices have been increasing, with
new commercials and billboards popping up just about daily. However,
advertising makes up only a tiny percentage of the total company spends to
maintain themselves; in this world, a company must strive to be unique in order
to stand out. Unfortunately for you parents, with children to keep an eye on,
and their nutrition to worry about, that comes at a price.
With implications like these, and the economy just
beginning to bounce back, parents around the country need to be mindful of what
they are spending, and can follow a few pointers:
o Try to shop with a final price in
mind, instead of impulse buying.
o Restricting your shopping route to
the outer walls instead of venturing into the middle aisles of the store; you
can find everything you need to make healthy, simple meals on the outside.
o Go shopping when you have time to pay
attention to the labels; knowing what is in the food you are buying can help
you make healthy and cost-efficient purchases.
o Clip coupons from your local
newspaper; you can find up to fifty dollars on savings in each issue, and most
of the time, the coupons are more focused on healthier items.
These tips can help you spend less at the register,
as well as keep your family healthy, which, as a parent, is very reassuring.
These are our children we are talking about here, the next generation of
doctors, scientists, teachers, and presidents. Trying to maintain a budget for
your family’s eating is so difficult, yet so vital to living a long, healthy,
and enjoyable life. As parents, you take on a responsibility to keep your
children healthy, but one can veer from that if money is hard to come by. With
the predictions Mr. Chilcott made earlier that prices at the register will only
get worse, it is vital that you shop with a better mindset, both for you, and
for your kids’ sake.
Photo of bad corn crop in Indiana from bbc.co.uk
- Adam Sessa
No comments:
Post a Comment