High cost for produce = High BMI Kids

High prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in young children in low- and middle-income households, according to the journal Pediatrics.

When the prices of fruits and vegetables go up, families may buy less of them and substitute cheaper foods that may not be as healthy and have more calories. The study focused on households under 300 percent of the federal poverty line, or a family of four earning $70,650 in 2013.

In recent decades, while the prices of snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages have gone down, the prices of fruits and vegetables have increased 17 percent between 1997 and 2003 alone.

The study also identified a small association between higher-priced soft drinks and a lower likelihood of obesity among young children.

Steve: As long as most of the government subsidies go to corn, wheat, soy, sugar, and dairy, these numbers are unlikely to change. I don't know how many studies are needed to show that the real financial help is required by fruit and vegetable growers. Or at the least, let there be a level playing field.