Income levels influence choice of healthy/unhealthy foods

Household food insecurity is linked closely to income levels. Five Hills Health Region Public Health Dietician Melanie Warken outlined the links at a farm and food forum in Moose Jaw. A province-wide study of food costs for a family of four indicates the links between income and food insecurity.

“If you make less than $10,000 a year, you have a 50 percent chance of having food insecurity,” she said.

“If you make $80,000 a year, there is still a 10 per cent chance you’d call yourself food insecure.

“To be food secure, we need to have adequate income and we need to have steady income.”

The last food security study in 2015 showed average weekly cost of 67 items in Saskatchewan was $243 — an increase of 18.8 per cent since the 2009 study. Between 2012 and 2015, food cost increases doubled the rate of consumer inflation.

Northern food costs were up almost 25 per cent to $324 a week since 2009, while southern costs increased 17 per cent to $228. Moose Jaw and small cities averaged $220, an increase of 17 per cent. A new study will be done in 2018. Warken said many factors influence healthy eating, from price to cultural preferences to food access and food display.

Unhealthy food is often highly promoted with discounts.

Warken suggested something called eating competency plays a role in healthy eating habits.

Eating competency involves trying new things and developing skills to plan ahead to prepare regular meals and snacks. Also important is personal recognition of hunger cues and cues when a person is full.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net