Walmart makes women, poor people and country bumpkins fat

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The researchers found that one new Walmart supercentre per 100,000 residents meant an average weight gain of 1.5 pounds per person sometime over a 10-year period dating from the store’s opening. It also boosted the obesity rate by 2.3 percentage points, meaning that for every 100 people, two who weren’t obese ended up in that category after a superstore opened.

“I think the most obvious story is that Walmart lowers the price of foods and a lot of the foods it has big price advantages on are the processed, inner-aisle types of food that aren’t that good for you,” said Charles Courtemanche, an assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“It’s not just about Walmart underselling the competitor. It’s about the competitors cutting their prices in response to competition from Walmart. Someone might never step foot in a Walmart but they still might pay less for their food.”

Women, low-income families and people living in less densely populated areas are those most likely to put on weight after the arrival of a supercentre, according to Courtemanche and his co-author, Art Carden at Rhodes College.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/Walmart+makes+communities+data/4128695/story.html

[HeatDeath 430]

It's so terrible that food is cheap and plentiful.

[belinda63 2,981]

Seriously take a look at the food aisles in a Walmart next time you go. About one half or more are devoted to snacks and processed food.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

There are healthy choices that Walmart brings to the dieter, as well as cheap access to high carbohydrate foods for aspiring diabetics. Sam's Diet Cola contains no sodium, compared to Diet Coke and Diet Seven-Up, which contain around 35mg per 8 oz serving.

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... high carbohydrate foods for aspiring diabetics.

[chri'stina 190]

Very interesting!

Walmart actually now has more organic options than in the past. My husband can also get his veggie hot dogs there. I don't enjoy grocery shopping there because it's always crowded, but once in awhile we go back and get all the same items we get elsewhere, for less money. I wouldn't mind if I didn't grocery shop there ever again because it's just not enjoyable, but not because I think I am better than the Walmart shoppers. A lot of people act snobby about this. I guess where I live, the Walmarts aren't in very bad shape compared to more densely populated areas. They keep updating them every couple years too to keep them nice looking.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Every dollar spent at Walmart goes to the ChiCom fund to rule the world.

[chri'stina 190]

Every dollar spent at Walmart goes to the ChiCom fund to rule the world.

I guess it's the same for most stores. You can't escape it-they will RULE.

Unless you buy everything handmade.

Oops extra words were in there.

Edited January 19, 2011 by chri'stina

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I guess it's the same for most stores. You can't escape it-they will RULE.

Unless you buy everything handmade.

Oops extra words were in there.

There's a place here called Frontier Foods. They have their own organic farm and we can buy things like fresh organic cabbage for about $1.29 / lb. If you avoid buying the processed foods, you can keep the money here in the U.S. rather than pumping it into the ChiCom Rule the World Fund. Walmart cares about market dominance and they think the ChiComs are going to allow them to continue to exist once the Chinese take over. Sure, but everyone will be paid a dollar a day, even the executives and I will laugh really loud.

[Krikit 1,163]

Moving from P&R to Off Topic.

[tallcoolone 102]

No Wal-Marts in Philippines, thus no fat people.......

Edited January 19, 2011 by tallcoolone

[one...two...tree 2,762]

No Wal-Marts in Philippines, thus no fat people.......

...except for the occasional Kano scoping out the local spinners.

[john & jean 37]

does Wal Mart make teeth fall out???

SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM AROUND HERE

[cartaverde 12]

I thought the weight of an average person in US would have increased way more than 1.5 pounds per person in the past 10 years period.

If the weight of those living close to a Walmart increased by only that amount, then I'd say that living next to a Walmart prevents obesity.

So if someone weighted 120 lb in 2001, living close to a Walmart they would now weight 121.5 lb, or 300 lb to 301.5 lb.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yeah, I call BS on this reasoning. Does the opening of a Walmart reflect the changing dynamics of a neighborhood or define it? For instance, usually when Walmarts are built, it is related to a more general expansion of nearby highway, or the building of a new suburb. Therefore, it is possible that the weight gain has more to do with a change in lifestyle (more driving around) than the food at Walmart itself.

Walmart is still horrible though, for everyone.