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Comment on Food spending in America. Dining out vs buying groceriesparent

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> I'll repeat what I always say though: poor people aren't fat because they're poor, they're fat for the same reason they're poor -- they're not too bright, have poor impulse control, don't plan ahead, and so forth.

And if a wealthy person is fat is it because they're big-boned?

My theory is, farther up the social ladder, people become more "lifestyle conscious" -- it's hard to give a shit about that stuff when you're poor. The decision to lead a healthier lifestyle is often justified by health benefits, but the internal calculus is based on a desire to fit in and conform to social norms.

This matches my own life experience: When I was poor, I didn't give a damn about what I ate or whether I exercised. I got fat. As soon as I started making real money, I started paying more attention to these things, because everyone around me felt they were important and this rubbed off on me, and now I'm back to a healthy weight and not eating junk from a bodega.

And if a wealthy person is fat is it because they're big-boned?

Naah, if a wealthy person is fat it's just because they have poor impulse control, but are fortunately sufficiently good at other things to overcome this problem.

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