The high cost of eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet is driving people on low incomes towards processed, unhealthy food, according to a new public health study.
The study surveyed the cost of a weekly shopping basket in South Australia, and found over a third of a welfare recipient’s disposable income would be required to purchase healthy foods.
The research indicated the expense of healthy foods was driving people towards energy-dense, nutrient-poor food with high fat, salt and sugar content.
The researchers said reducing the cost of healthy foods in low-income areas had been shown to be more effective than preaching the benefits of healthy eating.
Read more at Flinders University