Why Is Everyone So Fat When Grocery Spending Is So Low?

Some recent research I conducted led me to this:

I'm always sceptical of survey data but I've checked others and most of them have similar statistics.

Eg, family with 2 kids spends an average of $336 on food and drink per week. That seems like a massive stretch for a household with 2 adults, especially if either one has a large appetite.

I live on my own and I spend at least $150 a week on just food. I only drink water so I save in that regard. Part of the issue is that I need to follow a low-carb diet so stocking up on rice, cereal, bread and other fillers isn't really an option.

Still, it baffles me how some people are feeding their kids with such restrictive diets yet we are constantly seeing claims that obesity is on the rise, even among children. What's going on?

Comments

            • +3

              @SF3: Only a sith deals in absolutes

          • +33

            @SlavOz: See that's the thing, I figured you'd be in denial. You've been shitposting long enough that it was obvious it's just who you are, and clearly have never reflected on how you act and what you say.

            It's clear as day when it's the written word and will stay, god knows the shit you'd spout in day to day conversation, just how many comments and conversations would be judgemental of those around you.

            It's just sad that you're in your 30s and no one has pulled you up on it and told you to pull your head in. Either you choose to surround yourself with those who share your vitriol, or you've alienated yourself to the point that you need to share your viewpoints online in the hope of confirmation.

              • +27

                @SlavOz:

                Mate, you're consistently the only one who really seems to be annoyed by virtually everything I post. 98% of users will read something they don't like, respond in a constructive way, or just ignore it. You know - that thing healthy adults do. You, meanwhile, turn every thread into a crybaby whine that the evil white Slavic guy on the internet spends more money on food than you.

                So… You're not defending everyone's opinion that you're judgemental and have a superiority complex?

                Cool

                Coming from the guy who spends his entire time fishing for upvotes by studying people's post history and trying to call them out on it. I've seen you do this to multiple other people too. You're the self-appointed police of Ozbargain's truth policy.

                Oh I don't seek the up votes, I just call ppl out when I feel the need, or I'm bored.

                See, what you don't realise is the sheer number of ppl on here that see you for what you are, and when I call you out on it they up vote as a show of "I agree".

                But god forbid people disagree with you. Good thing you're not in a position of power, or people like me would be sent to the gas chamber…

                  • +33

                    @SlavOz: The fact that you've out of nowhere started defending that you're white, decried the comparing of size, woke culture, feminism, and "cry babies" and "whining", paints a very vivid picture of who you are.

                    Nobody mentioned these things at all, except for you; they must play on your mind a lot.

            • +9

              @spackbace: I went to the effort of logging in just so I could upvote you spackbace!

    • +5

      When is it gonna stop?

      I live on my own and I spend at least $150 a week on just food.

      When he gets a GF so I guess never.

      • -2

        or a boyfriend.
        or a ladyboy.
        or a binary toy

        why does everyone have to be so gender specific these days?

        • Lol. Not these days, it was always like that.

        • these days??

        • Are you into ladyboys? No judgement

    • You need to make a thread where you roast willing commentors on their post history.

  • +1

    Gym revenue down 90% too…

    • +1

      wouldnt have anything to do with gym memberships are hideously overpriced.

      • Possibly covid closures too ..
        stat seemed to fit ops model..

  • +4

    Insulin - when you eat/drink (except water), Insulin is released, while Insulin is present, adipose cells store fat (and can not physically release it)
    So no break from Insulin in the body (due to constant insulin spikes from eating / drinking) = no time to burn fat.
    7

    • +1

      intermittent fasting is good for breaking that cycle

    • Less kilojoule-burning physical activity that promotes the insulin spikes.

      Sugar is converted to fat by the liver, so the soft drinks make their contribution. Doesn't fully explain Hugh Hefner, who consumed 15-20 Pepsis a day. Perhaps a high percentage of visceral fat and other drugs maintained his slim appearance.

      School kids at the Coles express checkout at 8am with handfuls of lollies for the day…see this often.

    • What question is this answering?

  • +15

    I'd say we comfortably feed a family of 4 on $200 a week but that would just distract from the real reason for this post: you talking 5hit about yourself again.

  • +6

    Average household is skewed by people who live alone, old people, farms, etc. People who grow their own food skews the results.
    More directly, you can buy a tonne of calorie dense food like chocolate for cheap.
    Then there is the lack of walking everywhere. Humans evolved walking all day, to get water, hunt, make shelter, etc. now people drive, public transport, watch tv instead of making a fire every night, etc.
    Also there is a nutrition argument that all the chemicals in food these days mean the energy isn’t used by the body correctly.

    Also, you can’t just quadruple your own spend and think it should be equal to 2 adults 2 kids. There is better bulk buying, less waste, etc.

  • I live on my own and I spend at least $150 a week on just food

    that is like food for 2 weeks for both of us.

    • Do you not eat steaks and normal quality fish at night?

      • -5

        I'd be questioning this too. That means they spend $75 a week per person. Protein would probably be mostly minced chicken or sausages or whatever they put in those frozen meat pies. Don't think there's any room for steak, salmon, coffee, or yoghurt in that budget.

        • +1

          Currently, I am trying to loose weight, so doing Keto + OMAD (carbs < 20 g and one meal per day). I don't eat meat anyway and protein is from canned salmon, cheese, egg, nuts, yogurt etc and total comes around $5 to 6.5 per day. Yogurt is really cheap if you buy in bulk, I get 2 kg for around $4.5 but I think it is $7 or something like that for 5 kg tub. If I eat carbs, rice is really cheap which is around 5 kg for $8 - 10. I also get 12 free range eggs for $2.

        • +3

          I don't understand how you're so bad at basics when on a site like this.
          I'll share my budget:
          red meat - I buy in bulk 10-12/kg and then portion them - tougher cuts are cheaper still and make a great slow/pressure cooker type dishes.
          Yogurt - I dont even get that logic - is cheap as it can get - but its also incredibly simple to make large amounts in short periods. - you just need a spoonful of leftover yogurt to inoculate a liter of milk - and it tastes better than anything from the shops.
          Veg- is only expensive if you shop at large supermarket - local grocery stores are usually pretty cheap - you can obtain tones of fresh veggies and fruit for 20-30 bucks * just follow whats in season and whats on special.
          chicken - again is pretty cheap - around $5/kg

          fish - white fillet fish last week was on special for $6/kg - it freezes pretty well and with herbs/spices etc tastes amazing (though u can get cheap fish/mussels etc from local fish markets on certain days if you know your way around - same thing with groceries - usually going to a larger food market is cheaper on weekends for example.

          herbs - well I grow a lot of that stuff in my backyard so in summer I wouldn't spend money on it. In winter its a bit hit and miss but I still had basil up until last week for example.

          I have no issues eating carbs. Everything in life is about balance and moderation. - anyway you can do the maths but $75/per person - is pretty simple actually - and no you wouldnt be feeding yourself on frozen meals- you can feed yourself meat, chicken, fish and tones of fresh vegetables for that.

          • @zine21: Does this 'white fillet fish' have a species name or is it mystery Vietnamese or Filipino mystery mush? Whatever your buying for $6kg is not fish.

            • +1

              @WilkyBoy: Cute. If I was talking about mush I'd say fish balls/mince. try visiting a fish market over the weekend - you can get medium to small entire sized fishes for around that (Melbourne def has a few decent fish markets - not talking about QV lol), Fillet I think it was Cod (what's on special for fillet changes and I usually don't care about the species of my white fish lol- as long as it looks fresh (which you can find depending on what they have in excess in their hands- heck you can even get salmon and other fish fillets for around $5-10 for a small tray if you visit towards the end of the day). But even if you don't find a fillet on special, one can easily find a medium-sized fish.
              you're welcome.

              • @zine21: You enjoy your Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino catfish/basa from toxic ponds, more power to you.

        • +3

          Coles 10% lean beef mince - $18/kg

          and yet

          Coles RSPCA chicken breast - $9.95/kg

          Coles High Protein Yoghurt - $5.80/kg

          Yeah it's definitely only room for mince bro. Everybody except you is stupid, right?

  • -1

    The fact of the matter is, you will get fat no matter what you eat if you hardly do any strenuous physical activity or aren't on a strict calorie deficit.

    • +7

      Not true, it's mostly diet.

      There are plenty of benefits with exercise though, it simply isn't necessary to lose weight.

      • +2

        Agreed, not true ;)
        I went from 3000 cal of junk food (eating/drinking 8x per day) to 3000 cal of meat (in one sitting once per day) and lost 75kgs in 18 months (170kg > 95kg) without ANY exercise !
        When people argue "calories in = calories out as per laws of thermodynamics", they fail to read the first law of thermodynamics "The first law, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system." (they mis-understand what an isolated system is in regards to thermodynamics - the body is not an isolated system, there are many control and regulation hormones)
        7

        • 3000 calories of steak is ~1.1kg… in one sitting, every day. Man… you are a machine.

        • I suspect you're incorrect and have hideously over/underestimated calorie intake or expenditure change.

          Anyway, good on you.

          • +1

            @CheeseBeans: Nope, I am a trained scientist, I did it scientifically because I had heard all my life "calories in = calories out" from friends and family, but had come across lectures from Dr Jason Fung (ie it's about hormone control). So I decided to craft an n=1 experiment on myself (and have since applied the same to wife and kids, we have lost 200kg as a family of 4 - 4 out of 4 massive weight loss).

            Log books and smart watches tracked all the before and after changes for 36 months now ;)

            Here is a simple scientific fact that will blow most people's minds:

            The way calories are scientifically calculated (object set alight, temperature change of water measured = energy released) IS NOT how the human body utilizes energy from food!!

            7

            • +1

              @7ekn00: While I generally disagree with you, if you've got a system that works for you and it continues to work, then yeah, do that and keep following it.

              Bomb calorimeter, while not perfect, is actually quite close.

              The biggest problem a wide majority of people have is poorly measuring or estimating intake, forgetting fats, oils and snacks, and drastically overestimating expenditure ("I had a short walk, I earned this chocolate bar!").

              I think calorie counting while not perfect and not the be-all and end-all is an excellent start- because it's somewhere to start from. It's amazing how many people are tacking on an extra 500 calories a day in random crap- a coke, a chocolate bar, 2 biscuits, a flavoured milk drink. Counting rigorously is an excellent way to identify where you're filling yourself with garbage, and where that can be better spent.

          • @CheeseBeans: I suspect you are right he was eating 8x per day of junk food @ 3000 cals is only 375 cals per sitting. Which is like 1/3rd a bag of chips.

        • I agree as well. I lost 11kg in 6 months only by getting rid of snacks and eating proper portions. The only exercise I would do would be a 30m walk. So it's always diet

    • +1

      Losing weight is 90% diet 10% exercise. Please don't give anyone weight loss tips.

    • Of course exercise has its benefits but unless you don't sh1t you're not a closed system and the type of foods you eat can have a big impact on weight (not just the kilojoules). Don't know why people don't realise this - I had a neighbour when I was a kid that used to use manure on his fire in winter, made the street stink…

  • +1

    Your grocery expense is so high comparatively because you buy real meat and real vegetables. That is the same as what we do but we buy from the local Asian markets which are much cheaper that ColesWorth. Many families do not eat the same sorts of foods because 1. They can’t afford to and 2. Convenience of frozen meat product and frozen faux vegetables.

    • -3

      Yeah I didn't realise following a whole food diet put me in the minority.

      Surprisingly, ALDI has good grass-fed meats and other stuff for cheaper as well.

      • +3

        I didn't realise following a whole food diet put me in the minority.

        Oh, really? I guess lots of people are the "minority". We're all special, too. I didn't realise 50% is in the top 2%.

        • Wow if your shopping practices are 50% of addressable grocery market then I’m impressed! Very impressed.

          Lots of people can the minority, as long as there are sufficient others to make the total numbers to provide the remaining 98%.

          If Australia has a population of 27 million people….. that 2% is 540,000 people (or lots of people in your words)……

          • @mikekiwimike: I think there has been a miscommunication.

            Mensa membership admission requires an IQ score in the top 2%. Yet, there are people in the 98% group who overestimate their intelligence and believe that they belong to that 2% pool.

            98% cannot fit into 2% (minority).

            Get it?

            I'm sure that a large chunk of the population incorporates "whole foods" into their diet. It's not some "special" diet reserved for some "special" (or "speshul") people.

    • +2

      I was under the impression that frozen veggies have the same nutritional benefits to their fresh counterparts. Only difference is that they are a lot less appealing as they go limp.

  • +2

    There are medical reasons why SOME adults are overweight . Eg. Autoimmune

    Which I am one. due to chronic autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis .
    I want my endocrinologist to put me on thyroxine but he is refusing as my TSH is considered “normal” but if it’s my optimal level I wouldn’t be having all the symptoms now would I . Having TPO antibodies over 1300 for the past 15 months is not fun .

    That’s why I’m having gastric sleeve soon to loose weight as it’s my only option And hopefully that will reverse my DMT2 and even that is not guaranteed with chronic autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis .

    • +3

      Hey TP53, have you tried eating low carb or even keto? Many people report relief from inflammatory conditions when they do this.

    • How does a gastric sleeve combat a thyroid disease?
      I thought a sleeve was to stop a person eating so much.

      • Sort of. While reduced stomach volume is a useful weight loss and weight management control, one of the best effects of a gastric sleeve is a reduction in surface area, which reduces ghrelin receptor sites and help to regulate ghrelin production.

        If you've got another condition that promotes weight gain, then you'll want all the tools you can get to get your weight under control. At the moment, surgery is the only proven effective tool for weight loss, and even then, you're looking at an average of 55% of your excess weight, give or take.

        • Reduced surface area is something I had not thought of before.

        • At the moment, surgery is the only proven effective tool for weight loss

          Wait. What?

          • +1

            @trapper: Which part would you like me to clarify?

            There are no known non-surgical approaches that will result in most people losing a significant amount of weight and keeping it off long term.

            Most people can lose some weight through caloric reduction. A much smaller number can lose a lot of weight. For a vanishingly small number of people, they can keep it off. For almost everybody else, it comes back, and for a fair proportion of those, they go on to gain more weight.

            It's easy to visit somewhere like /r/keto and say "wow, look at all those success stories", but remember:

            • almost none of them are posting pics of sustained loss after a year, let alone three years
            • for every one person who posts their successes, there are likely 99 who tried it, failed, and stay silent.
            • +2

              @GrueHunter: So caloric reduction won't decrease the weight of people who don't reduce their caloric intake?

              What a weird argument.

              All people can lose weight through caloric reduction.

              Would you also argue that exercise is not known to increase fitness - proven by most people refusing to exercise?

              • -2

                @trapper:

                So caloric reduction won't decrease the weight of people who don't reduce their caloric intake?

                Read it again, but this time try moving your finger along the words and reading them out loud. Sorry, I can't do crayon on the screen for you.

                All people can lose weight through caloric reduction.

                Which is what I said. Now come back with the approach that's demonstrated to be successful in helping most of those people maintain that weight loss.

                I'll wait. In the meantime, you can read my reply to Ozmuppet below.

            • @GrueHunter: AFAIK, gastric sleeve surgery works by decreasing the size of your stomach so you get full quicker. It's intended to help you eat less by making your body think it can't fit any more food.

              The surgery does nothing to change your digestion or metabolism. Any benefits you see from surgery can also be achieved without it, simply by eating less.

              The problem is that overweight people have trained their body over decades to crave excessive amounts of food. Unsurprisinglt, reversing this takes a long time as well. Nothing can happen in a few weeks or months. You need your body and mind to adjust. However, most people don't want to do the hard work and this is where surgery comes in.

              • @SlavOz: If you want to feel full, take the time to chew your food. Chew at least 7 times and trust me, your jaw will be so tired that you'll feel full and eat less. It's an old yoga technique

              • +1

                @SlavOz:

                The surgery does nothing to change your digestion or metabolism

                Does it hurt being wrong all the time?

                Dietary intake and ghrelin and leptin changes after sleeve gastrectomy

                Surgical intervention in obesity is today the most effective treatment method in high level obesity management. Bariatric interventions not only ensure body weight reduction, but may influence dietary habits. (…) It is the only treatment that produces long-term weight loss in morbidly obese patients.

                Post-operative weight loss is augmented by decreased production of hormones related to obesity (e.g. ghrelin) and changes in the pattern of gastric voiding. Ghrelin is produced predominantly by the cells of the gastric fundus, the majority of which is removed during this procedure. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, increases gastric motility and secretion, increases growth hormone secretion and reduces fat utilization.

                Results

                The average patient weight loss 12 months after surgery was 31.7 kg. (…) Plasma levels of fasting glucose, leptin and ghrelin significantly decreased (p = 0.006; p = 0.0.043); in contrast, the level of adiponectin significantly increased (p < 0.001).

                • +1

                  @GrueHunter:

                  Surgical intervention in obesity is today the most effective treatment method in high level obesity management.

                  Well I guess 'most effective' is an improvement on 'there are no known non-surgical approaches' lol

                  The 'most effective' way to get a six pack is obviously abdominal-implants - instant results!

  • +7

    OP sounds like the kind of person that'll complain why we have to import overseas workers for fruit picking and farm work rather than forcing the unemployed to work on unlivable wages away from family and friends.

  • +1

    Airfryers man. Mine has brought the devil's food into my home!

    • Now imagine you used a deep fryer, not only does it make food taste 10x better it's that much more unhealthy too

  • +3

    everyone's getting fat cept mama cass

  • They are only surveying fat people

  • +1

    family with 2 kids spends an average of $336 on food and drink per week.

    It depends on the age of the kids to some extent. I fed 6 of us for well less than that for about a decade - but the kids were little and didn't eat much. Our grocery bill nowadays would be around $336 for the 6 of us at Aldi, but that is with with three teenage boys.

    • +2

      can confirm, teenage boys eat a lot. Source I was a teenage boy that ate a lot

    • Our toddlers / primary kids waste about as much food each as a teenage boy eats.

      • I used to think that too. Until my four boys started to get a little older. :)

  • +3

    We're a family of 4 and spend only $150 a week give or take including lunches and do buy mostly fresh food, about 3-4 dinners a week is just meat and veg. Don't buy drinks since we drink water from the tap.
    Eldest child is only 4.

    • +6

      See? These guys don't even own glassware, they drink straight from the tap! That's a real Ozbargainer

      "And we don't use gladwrap, we just clasp all the food in our hands really tightly until it's time to eat it"

    • +1

      If you can feed 3 hobbits for that you are doing well

      I would be up to that after second breakfasts

      • +1

        All we have to do is decide what to do with the food that is given to us.

        • +2

          You shall not fast!

  • Sime people eat high calorie food and snacks and don't exercise. You can see people waiting for the car park outside the shopping centre door rather than walk for 1 minute.

  • +4

    People eat too much, and what they eat is loaded with sugar and carbohydrates.

    I don't think people should go all Paleo Pete and consider a piece of bread as toxic, but eating in moderation is always a good idea. Unless people have rare conditions or are loaded up on cortisones, the obesity doesn't come from thin air. That would violate the laws of physics.

  • 100% is sugar

  • +1

    I can get fat with $20 a day drinking soft drink and eat pizza

  • +4

    I live on my own

    Yep. So you don't understand what having a family of four entails.

  • I've always had a similar question. If menswear is so cheap (think all the cheap suits etc you can buy from Tarocash, YD, Connor, etc etc etc) then why is everyone always dressed so poorly??

    Not saying it's good quality (although generally the odd pieces I've bought from them have lasted really well and look good too) but they've pretty stylish

    • Ive seen shirts cost $129 at Tarocash sure they have a lot of discounted stuff but on good Ozbargin day i have managed 14 v-necks for $90 delivered plus cashrewards cash back

      Also got 20 $1 a pair shorts and 10 $7 a pair track pants from sports direct clearance delivered back in the day!

      You simply can't beat that value - I'll tell you some of those cloths have out lasted more expensive shit ive purchased here

    • +1

      comfort>looks

  • -1

    One word - carbohydrates. Seriously, I'm 100% sure that that is the source of obesity today, everything is pumped full of them. And the worst thing about carbs is that they make you crave them and they don't fill you up for long, leading to eating more carbs. I just lost 30kg by making literally no changes to my lifestyle other than cutting carbs out if my diet. And the cheapest foods are the ones with the most carbs.

    • So, making such a broad statement you do know what a 'carb' is right?

      • -1

        Yes smartass, given that I’ve been on a dietician directed ketogenic diet for six months and need to look at the carb content of every item I put in my mouth, I have some idea of what a carb is.

    • +2

      Just carbs alone?

      Or perhaps when you decided to cut our carbs, you also inadvertently limited your food choices and, thus, ended up consuming fewer calories?

      And what kind of carbs? There's good carbs (pumpkin, wholegrain oats, sweet potato, chick peas) that contain vitamins, dietary fibre and minerals. Then there's bad carbs (the typical half-price stuff on sale at ColesWorth each alternating week).

      • -1

        I’m doing keto so strictly foods on the keto “green” list. All I know is that since cutting out carbs I have way more energy, I sleep better, I lose weight at a rate of about 1.5kg a week and I’m never hungry. I go back on the carbs just briefly, like I did at Easter, and I feel like crap and all the old problems come back.

        • Glad keto works for you.

          I go back on the carbs just briefly, like I did at Easter

          What kind of carbs?

          The bad kind or the good kind?

          • -1

            @[Deactivated]: For the purpose of weight loss, yeah all carbs are bad. Some carby foods may be packed full of nutrients and beneficial enzymes, but these make no difference to weight loss. They may have other health benefits, but they will interrupt your weight loss.

            Yes, some carbs are worse than others. Some will interrupt your weight loss much more severely, others will only have a smaller effect on your weight and satiation. But they all still interrupt weight loss.

            • +1

              @SlavOz:

              For the purpose of weight loss, yeah all carbs are bad

              And that gross generalisation is dietician advice?

              What about the people who eat "good" carbs, workout, and can lose weight? That's not to say they don't limit carb intake, it's just also incorporating "good" carbs into their wholefoods diet.

    • Carbs don't fill you up? Never heard that one before

      • +1

        I think they are more talking about the fact that when your body switches from burning carbs to fat some people's bodies freak out and demand more carbs. Mine does this too, I can't seem to limit myself from snacking when I have a high amount of carbs in a day. Where I can pretty easily do 1 meal a day if I eat a low carb, high fat/protein meal. Doesn't mean i have to exclude veg all together, but I do have to avoid pretty much anything that isn't leafy and green or berries.

      • Sugar energy is short term energy and it doesn’t last long. Pretty soon you find yourself craving more carbs when your blood sugar goes back dow. You eat a steak and eggs and it will fill you up for ages. Eat the same amount of calories in cake or bread, not so much.

      • Yeah, in fact research indicates starchy carbohydrates like potatoes have some of the highest satiety per calorie of any food.

        I partly agree with Jamie (emphasis on partly)… highly refined, simple, sugary carbohydrates don't fill you up, and just leave you wanting more. But whole grains/seeds, vegetables, etc. aren't the devil.

    • Keto diet isn't sustainable once you get off you will just go back to your bad habits and put the weight on again.

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