When a multipack of crisps costs less than a bag of apples (and lasts for a lot longer too) you can start to understand why people make unhealthy food choices when it comes to the weekly shop.

A recent survey, carried out by The British Heart Foundation found that a third of adults in the UK struggle to afford healthy food, so it’s almost no surprise that obesity along with conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease are on the rise.

Although two thirds of those surveyed reported that they wanted to eat more healthily, the health benefits were sacrificed for cost in almost half of these cases. The British Heart Foundation claim that people can still eat healthily on a small budget, but people turn to cheaper and more convenient foods instead.

Personally, I think a lot more could be done to make healthy eating more affordable, not only to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals but also to reduce economic costs associated with conditions resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle. Ultimately, the cost of healthy eating shouldn’t be costing us our health too.

Adie Blanchard – Researcher

Source

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27110613