A Big Fat Crisis Read Online Free PDF Page B

because people think they are getting a bargain, whether or not they are. Many supermarkets have now adopted “ten for $10” specials, which may not in fact represent a price break but is perceived as a discount. In addition, by tying a quantity to the sales price, the terminology also provides a benchmark against which people might decide how many of an item they should buy and serves the purpose of what behavioral economists call an “anchor.” 9 It will be fascinating to see whether these techniques can be effective in promoting healthier choices.
    Measuring Economic Impact
    Would the Supermarket of the Future be affordable? Would it make a profit, or at least break even? Practically speaking, this is the most important question. To answer this question, it will be critical to keep detailed financial records of the entire process, from conception to implementation. If the store helps improve diet, doesn’t lose money, and is sustainable, we could build one in every neighborhood on a nonprofit basis.
    Another experiment might investigate how a supermarket would fare if the business model was like that of a health maintenance organization (HMO), in which the food cost for customers was capitated.For example, for the cost of $50 per person per week, the supermarket would have to provide all the food a person needs to stay healthy, but not more than that. This would help people who don’t have the time or energy to figure out how to find the right amount of food for a reasonable price. I know I would love such a service, especially if it came with recipes that were both easy to prepare and flavorful.
    For several years I participated in a type of consumer-supported agriculture (CSA) that selected bags of fruits and vegetables from a farmers’ market and delivered them to my office on a weekly basis. Each bag was designed to include at least 31.5 cups of fruits and vegetables—the recommended amount the average person should consume in a week. Those bags of groceries formed the basis of my family’s diet for the week and helped me figure out what to prepare. If I managed to finish all the bags, I knew my family had gotten enough fruits and vegetables that week. If the leadership of the organization hadn’t changed and canceled the program, I would still be using that fabulous service.
    The work of helping people achieve a healthy diet is so important that we should open several supermarket-based consumer laboratories simultaneously in many parts of the country. With multiple working laboratories, marketing strategies can take into account regional, cultural, and racial/ethnic differences and preferences while accelerating progress in addressing obesity and diet-related chronic diseases.
    What If Promoting a Healthy Diet Is Not Profitable?
    Even if selling food that doesn’t make people sick turns out to be a losing proposition financially, as a society, we may still want to figure out ways to support these outlets. Compare the need for a healthy diet to our need for clean water, clean air, or even police and fire protection. Do these services make money? No, they are subsidized because they are essential. Without clean air, water, and safe communities, we would be more sick and less productive. Although there is widespread agreement that everyone should have access to healthy food, we also need to protect people from being exposed to too much unhealthy food. Learning how to do that is an effort that I believe society should underwrite.
    Certifying Restaurants and Supermarkets
    Once we identify the features of restaurants and supermarkets that contribute to healthier choices and healthier diets, we can develop a rating system to grade how well these businesses comply with the standards. In 1998, Los Angeles County introduced a restaurant rating system using the grades A, B, and C to indicate the quality of hygienic practices, and it mandated that the results of kitchen inspections be posted within five feet of the