Black Unemployment Climbs While Healthy Eating Declines

The skyrocketing unemployment rate in the African-American community (16.2 percent) is compelling Black Americans to sacrifice healthy eating, for cheap, caloric foods.

Nearly 4.5 million Americans are eating less-healthy foods due to a diminished spending power, and desire to conserve money. For African-Americans, who suffer from the greatest economic strains, the numbers could be catastrophic.

The Huffington Post Reports:

While the factors that contribute to a change in diet are complex, many experts see a direct economic force at play in the recent shift away from fruits and vegetables and the apparent embrace of sugary and fast foods. Paychecks are scarce, while the costs of gasoline have been rising. Housing costs tend to be fixed, but food tends to be treated as discretionary, allowing people to save money by substituting cheap calories for more expensive yet healthier goods like fruits and vegetables.

The economic anxieties of today also appear to be contributing to the trend, by inviting Americans to take refuge in a traditional source of comfort — fattening, salty and sweet foods.