Pricing food by the calorie will change the eating habits of many consumers. This view is based on the answers to the following questions. First, are people so addicted to high calorie foods that they will continue to consume them no matter what the cost? Second, what are the incomes of people who consume these unhealthy foods? Finally, are there tasty, appetizing low cost alternatives available? The following paragraphs address each issue.
Are people addicted to high calorie foods? There are some products, like cigarettes, that people will purchase and consume despite very high prices. This, most likely is due to the physical addiction people have to nicotine. While people are known to “develop a taste” for some foods, they are not physically addicted to high calorie foods. They will, therefore, be able to transition to low cost, low calorie food without having to “kick” a physical dependence.
Will consumers be sensitive to the significantly higher cost of high calorie foods? Many, although not all, high calorie foods consumers have constrained incomes and, therefore, will be searching for lower cost options. When they discover that the price of their high calorie favorite has dramatically increased, they will be strongly motivated to switch to lower cost, healthy alternatives.
The final issue is the availability of tasty, appetizing low calorie food alternatives. Ten or fifteen years ago, the lack of these attractive alternatives would have been a concern. Most “low fat” foods of that era were bland and unappetizing. That is not the case today. One has only to look at restaurant menus to find several low calorie appetizing items. Under this new pricing scheme, these items will be among the most inexpensive on the menu.
In conclusion, as discussed above, there is no evidence that high calorie food consumers are physically addicted to those foods. Further, many of them have limited incomes and are looking for low cost meals. Finally, there are appetizing low calorie food alternatives. Given these factors, most consumers will, very likely, discover the new “by calorie” pricing and will change their eating habits.
From Kathryn Petrick If prices were to change to fit the how much calories in each meal, people wouldn't change to eat healthier foods. People care too much about pleasuring ourselves, than trying to stay healthy. Once people create an unhealthy eating habit it's hard to start eating right. If our food adjusts towards calorie pricing, so will many other things, including paychecks. A big portion of the world will change to eat healthy, but most are just going stay eating unhealthy. One reason many people like pleasure as an important part in their lives, is there no suffering in the present time of eating unhealthy. Unfortunately many use that as an excuse to eat unhealthy leaving these people with health problems later on in life. Not many people care about their future. Acquaintances I know would say going to be alive forever. Other people I know said they eat unhealthy because they have only one life. Since use those Quotes a lot here in America are the reasons I feel aren’t going to give up good tasting food, for an unpleasing healthy food. Once humans create an unhealthy eating habits it’s hard to start eating healthy. I definitely can vouch for that, for I used to eat a bunch of sweet foods that were donated to Set Free Church. Now that I am at school more and the cooks control the desserts there I eat fewer sweets. Although it’s hard for me to understand I don’t need desserts after dinner every night. Many people I know prefer to be pampered with having the meal cooked and served to them all the time. After a while from eating out too much all time, you create an addiction to high pricey foods, with high calories. So these people that eat have already expected to eat expensive all the time. Therefore there not going to change their style to eat healthier; if food price were there the rate of how much calories there are. People are just going stay eating unhealthy. If prices adjust on food towards how much calories there are in that meal, so will other things, including peoples’ paychecks. For instance when my grandma was a kid a burger cost a nickel. Twenty years later, my grandma said it cost twenty-five cent for a burger. Presently right now in 2013 burgers cost on average six dollars. Even workers back in the 40’s got only paid a sixty cent something an hour, but now its seven dollars an hour. If inflation rises on food, so will on everything else humans buy. Just like in the 50’s and 90’s, it will also happen in the future, if we change food prices to be higher. If we ever do come to an economy where food is paid by how much calories, people will still eat fatty sweet foods. People are not going to change their ways of eating, if we have food priced on how much calories are in the food. There is too much pleasure in fatty and sweet foods, for people to want eat healthier. How hard it would be for the people in the world to give up eating right is another I know this plan won’t work. Over all if prices rise on food prices will raises one everything else, including paychecks. Therefore this great plan will fall to the ground, because after a while money inflates in all areas after sometime. In the people will just go back to all eating unhealthy again with higher prices.
I totaly think thats the way things should be! For me it would help me loose wait and would save me money! I also think that McDonalds and places like that would loose money because everything would cost to much. People would be more healthy becausethey would be going for the stuff that had less calories.
Would charging per calorie help people change their life style? It may but is impossing what we feel to be right on the way others live their lives right? And should adults be responsable for their own destiny?
placing measures such as a tax on extra extra calories very well may deter many Americans from eating unhealthy foods. especialy once you realize many people would no longer be able to afford such meals, and would in turn encourage them to live healthier lives.
But is it fair to force a view point on others? We Americans pride ourselves on our freedom, yet now we are descussing an idea which would in essence force those with less money to change their lives. Is this really the right thing to do?
Also while a debate such as this seems logical for children who still have much to learn about life and it's conscences it seems extreme for us to say we know better then our fellow adults. It also seems strange to me that we get appoaled when we Americans try to force those in other nations to think like us but turn around and try to tell our own people how they should think.
Would Charging more for unhealthy foods change peoples bad habits? It very well may, but forcing those with less to think like us by raising prices is both unfair and wrong.
What if calories cost money? Well many people might not even change their eating habits or they want even care. Also many people might eat less fast food because it’s expensive or if they discover the calories their eating they will change their eating habits. julia
Dick Mosbach's comment:
ReplyDeletePricing food by the calorie will change the eating habits of many consumers. This view is based on the answers to the following questions. First, are people so addicted to high calorie foods that they will continue to consume them no matter what the cost? Second, what are the incomes of people who consume these unhealthy foods? Finally, are there tasty, appetizing low cost alternatives available? The following paragraphs address each issue.
Are people addicted to high calorie foods? There are some products, like cigarettes, that people will purchase and consume despite very high prices. This, most likely is due to the physical addiction people have to nicotine. While people are known to “develop a taste” for some foods, they are not physically addicted to high calorie foods. They will, therefore, be able to transition to low cost, low calorie food without having to “kick” a physical dependence.
Will consumers be sensitive to the significantly higher cost of high calorie foods? Many, although not all, high calorie foods consumers have constrained incomes and, therefore, will be searching for lower cost options. When they discover that the price of their high calorie favorite has dramatically increased, they will be strongly motivated to switch to lower cost, healthy alternatives.
The final issue is the availability of tasty, appetizing low calorie food alternatives. Ten or fifteen years ago, the lack of these attractive alternatives would have been a concern. Most “low fat” foods of that era were bland and unappetizing. That is not the case today. One has only to look at restaurant menus to find several low calorie appetizing items. Under this new pricing scheme, these items will be among the most inexpensive on the menu.
In conclusion, as discussed above, there is no evidence that high calorie food consumers are physically addicted to those foods. Further, many of them have limited incomes and are looking for low cost meals. Finally, there are appetizing low calorie food alternatives. Given these factors, most consumers will, very likely, discover the new “by calorie” pricing and will change their eating habits.
From Kathryn Petrick
ReplyDeleteIf prices were to change to fit the how much calories in each meal, people wouldn't change to eat healthier foods. People care too much about pleasuring ourselves, than trying to stay healthy. Once people create an unhealthy eating habit it's hard to start eating right. If our food adjusts towards calorie pricing, so will many other things, including paychecks.
A big portion of the world will change to eat healthy, but most are just going stay eating unhealthy. One reason many people like pleasure as an important part in their lives, is there no suffering in the present time of eating unhealthy. Unfortunately many use that as an excuse to eat unhealthy leaving these people with health problems later on in life. Not many people care about their future. Acquaintances I know would say going to be alive forever. Other people I know said they eat unhealthy because they have only one life. Since use those Quotes a lot here in America are the reasons I feel aren’t going to give up good tasting food, for an unpleasing healthy food.
Once humans create an unhealthy eating habits it’s hard to start eating healthy. I definitely can vouch for that, for I used to eat a bunch of sweet foods that were donated to Set Free Church. Now that I am at school more and the cooks control the desserts there I eat fewer sweets. Although it’s hard for me to understand I don’t need desserts after dinner every night. Many people I know prefer to be pampered with having the meal cooked and served to them all the time. After a while from eating out too much all time, you create an addiction to high pricey foods, with high calories. So these people that eat have already expected to eat expensive all the time. Therefore there not going to change their style to eat healthier; if food price were there the rate of how much calories there are. People are just going stay eating unhealthy.
If prices adjust on food towards how much calories there are in that meal, so will other things, including peoples’ paychecks. For instance when my grandma was a kid a burger cost a nickel. Twenty years later, my grandma said it cost twenty-five cent for a burger. Presently right now in 2013 burgers cost on average six dollars. Even workers back in the 40’s got only paid a sixty cent something an hour, but now its seven dollars an hour. If inflation rises on food, so will on everything else humans buy. Just like in the 50’s and 90’s, it will also happen in the future, if we change food prices to be higher. If we ever do come to an economy where food is paid by how much calories, people will still eat fatty sweet foods.
People are not going to change their ways of eating, if we have food priced on how much calories are in the food. There is too much pleasure in fatty and sweet foods, for people to want eat healthier. How hard it would be for the people in the world to give up eating right is another I know this plan won’t work. Over all if prices rise on food prices will raises one everything else, including paychecks. Therefore this great plan will fall to the ground, because after a while money inflates in all areas after sometime. In the people will just go back to all eating unhealthy again with higher prices.
I totaly think thats the way things should be!
ReplyDeleteFor me it would help me loose wait and would save me money!
I also think that McDonalds and places like that would loose money
because everything would cost to much. People would be more healthy
becausethey would be going for the stuff that had less calories.
Would charging per calorie help people change their life style? It may but is impossing what we feel to be right on the way others live their lives right? And should adults be responsable for their own destiny?
ReplyDeleteplacing measures such as a tax on extra extra calories very well may deter many Americans from eating unhealthy foods. especialy once you realize many people would no longer be able to afford such meals, and would in turn encourage them to live healthier lives.
But is it fair to force a view point on others? We Americans pride ourselves on our freedom, yet now we are descussing an idea which would in essence force those with less money to change their lives. Is this really the right thing to do?
Also while a debate such as this seems logical for children who still have much to learn about life and it's conscences it seems extreme for us to say we know better then our fellow adults. It also seems strange to me that we get appoaled when we Americans try to force those in other nations to think like us but turn around and try to tell our own people how they should think.
Would Charging more for unhealthy foods change peoples bad habits? It very well may, but forcing those with less to think like us by raising prices is both unfair and wrong.
What if calories cost money? Well many people might not even change their eating habits or they want even care. Also many people might eat less fast food because it’s expensive or if they discover the calories their eating they will change their eating habits. julia
ReplyDelete