I used to wonder why I frequently saw people buying enormous amounts of hamburger at the grocery store. There were so many theories I had, but really just couldn't for the life of me figure out what the big deal was with ground beef. There were so many better-tasting dishes to be made with chicken and pork, I thought.

And then I found myself unemployed for a year--and needing to take care of my family. Debt piled up and I had to find new ways to cut corners and spending. Becoming a comparison shopper made me finally see what the big deal was at the grocery store. You can get four skinless, boneless chicken breasts and feed your family of four one meal, or you can get 4 lb. of ground beef and feed your family of four almost all week. And for the same price. Oh, and you'll likely shell out more dough for leaner meat. Ah, it had become so clear. It wasn't about taste, it was clearly money.

Spending most of my life wanting for nothing, it's no surprise that that aspect never crossed my mind.

My outlook has changed now. Quite a bit, I must say. So I when I read this news story, my reaction was "Well, no kidding!".

The story--Research Shows That Poverty and Type 2 Diabetes are Bedfellows--reports a study that found that "people who live in the poorest communities are 80% more likely to be hospitalized for treatment of diabetes or its complications than people who live in affluent areas." This is sort of a "No duh!" discovery to me. I mean, how can anyone expect the nation's poorest people to even attempt to cook healthy when their budgets inhibit this at almost every turn?

I remember one day being in the grocery store and standing next to two women who were examining food labels and price tags. These women were heavy-set and very obviously trying to loose weight. One of them actually said to me "It's more expensive to buy healthy food."

That just says it all, doesn't it?