[Kevin]

Originally Posted by squirrely girl

so do you not have other expenses besides food? or am i the only person? (btw this isn't personal and i'm not TRYING to be rude or over critical of you kevin but as far as i can see you're the only person really arguing in the other direction)

I think the answer is obvious. Of course there are other expenses.. but thank God there are other government programs! If 97% of poor households can own color TV's, I guess they aren't starving.

granted there is most likely OTHER income, but i also know what its like to have more bills than money in a month. and i'm nowhere near 'poor'. labeling $21/week as misleading IMO is just another way to be able to ignore the numbers and the problem. $21/week for food IS a reality for more than a handful of people in this country. that is a problem.

Right. They should have jobs and therefore, much more money to spend.

I think people are also ignoring the concept of food quality. that article was pretty good about addressing the lack of whole foods, fruits and veggies, milk, organic foods, and even semi-healthy options. poor people and people recieving food stamps don't have the luxury of healthy foods.

And you think we owe people luxury foods just because they exist? Screw that.

this is a HUGE problem. people wonder why kids and adults in this country are overweight and obese (and don't say 'exercise' if you can afford to be a member of a gym or can work out in a safe neighborhood - i really don't want to hear it).

For kids, there are sports.. those are free if played in most schools.

Otherwise, get a job.

quality of diet is a huge factor. when people can eat off the dollar menu at mcdonalds and be full for SIGNIFICANTLY less than they could if they were paying to buy healthy foods at a grocery store, there's a problem. and this is a huge problem when this is how children are being fed.

True. Parents shouldn't have kids they can't afford to feed. That is why we have abortions and adoptions and contraceptives.

then again i'm a fan of not judging other people and the world based on MY situation in life.

Yeah, I guess expecting other people to value themselves enough to be responsible for feeding themselves is expecting a little much...