kengr

There's a different problem here than "being mean." It's the associated health consequences of poor diet related to poor choices.

In England they have started food classes to try and teach people how to prepare and live on basic foods - because they are very concerned that the meal of choice for a low income family is McDonalds. In the US the talk is about limited what can be bought in order to drive people to healthier choices.

The problem is that most healthier choices are subject to fast spoilage and are expensive. Chips and soda may not be healthy, but you can get a good sized bag or 12 pack and it'll last for months while you eat it. Get salad makings and milk, and they spoil fast over a week. Plus the cost is much higher for fresh items, including the cost of getting to the store and back for folks dependent on public transportation or far from a store.

My cynical take is the push by NYC is about increased revenue. The highest markup is on dairy products, fresh produce, and the like. I think a better state-wide approach would be to provide discounts to folks on food stamps for regionally produced goods (in New York State that would be everything from dairy products to chicken products to apple juice to grain products) which then both provides healthier options *and* more benefit for the local economy.

My optimistic POV is that this is overdue. People at risk of poor health are hardly the population you want to subsidize with junk food. There are healthy rewards out there after all. And teaching people to eat healthier benefits them in the long run even if it requires a forcible change in habits in the short term.

Then again, my mother can make a meal for seven people out of one can of tuna fish and a jar of mayonnaise. So I may be biased since folks who grew up in the projects in the Northeast never had all these perks people fight for today. I try to live off rotisserie chicken ($4.99) and orange juice ($2.50 a carton). The chicken I can stretch for a couple of days. But the orange juice is rather dear and expensive.