Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Food Choice and Health

Abstract

The world is diverse and filled with people who come from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and varying eating habits. Despite global efforts to improve living standards, significant disparities remain in access to food and health resources, people will continue to live in different conditions and nurture their health differently whether they are of good wealth or not. Things such as brands, certain markets, or availability of affordable markets are driving factors for food purchasing and consuming habits.  This review explores how socioeconomic status influences food choices and, in turn, impacts nutritional values and overall well-being. Eating too many foods containing fatty acids such as pizza, lard, butter, milk, and pork skin can increase the risk of detrimental health problems. Financially disadvantaged individuals are more likely to consume fast food, contributing to higher rates of obesity. Urban or more financially stable residents are more likely able to take care of issues they have with being able to afford health treatments to maintain a healthy and fit body. Food access can be improved by adding more farmers’ markets in counties that have larger poverty rates to decrease poverty. Farmers’ markets provide freshly produced foods and can be much cheaper than packaged foods. They tend to sell more naturally produced products in terms of food, so people buying are less likely to buy unhealthy foods item because the farmers’ markets don’t really provide those as much. In addition to this there should be more free seminars that can have good conversations about smoking prevention organization skills to improve living more efficiently, and most importantly being able to support body health by eating healthier foods. Socioeconomics has always varied amongst millions of people but some of these changes should be further looked into to improve the universal need for better nutritional health.