Fast food - quick, convenient and cheap, which, we all know that it's bad for health, but when a bacon double cheeseburger costs less than a head of lettuce, one could hardly refuse.

Fruits and vegetables are one of the keys to good health; Barbara Rolls invented the sensible Volumetrics diet encouraging people to eat large quantities of low-energy-dense foods rather than small portions of energy-dense foods. But Volumetrics and similar health-food diets miss an important element: the economic factor, which, for somebody on a tight budget, is not feasible.

A British study titled “Poor Families ‘Priced Out of a Healthy Diet”' finds a 51% price gap between shopping carts full of nutritious foods versus unhealthful foods.

For people, who can barely afford the least-expensive foods, these more expensive, healthful foods are clearly out of reach. Moreover, people are less concerned about the aesthetic consequences of obesity.

But there are things that the Government and others can do. The food stamp and various other programs could be greatly expanded to provide better food to more people.