Money Monday: Do Fast Food Restaurants Victimize The Poor?

Money

by Alonzo Peters | on September 12th, 2011 | 8 comments

Over the past week there’s been an interesting debate on the internet over whether or not certain food stamp recipients should be allowed to use their benefits at McDonald’s, KFC, and other fast food restaurants. It started with this posting by BlackGirlFit.

Four states already allow some food stamp recipients to purchase burgers, fries, and other fast foods. Principally the practice is restricted to the homeless, disabled, and seniors who might not be able to cook at home.

It seems, however, that McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and others want a bigger piece of the $65 billion food stamp pie, and they’re aggressively lobbying to get more states to allow food stamps to be accepted at fast food restaurants.

But I see this as just the latest effort at victimization of the poor by our fast food industry.

One of the greatest marketing ploys of all times has been that McDonald’s is a way for financially strapped families to eat affordably. This is a ploy no doubt helped by the invention of “dollar” and “value” menus.

My mother never bought into it. Growing up we lived on a tight income. My brother and I would look longingly as we passed a Mickey D’s. My mother would tell us how she could make a meal twice as good at half the cost.

Even with the dollar menu a family of four can easily spend $18 to $20 on a single meal. For that price my mother would have cooked up a mean batch of black eyed peas and rice, in addition to a batch of spaghetti that would have lasted several meals.

This doesn’t even begin to touch the health risks. Our Happy Meals, fries, and shakes are chock full of saturated fats, salts, and sugars. African-Americans die prematurely at alarming rates from heart attacks, diabetes, and strokes. Fast food just hastens our demise.

But perhaps I’m being a little harsh on the Ronald and his friends.

What’s your take? Do fast food restaurants provide an opportunity for financially strapped families to eat affordably, or have we all been suckered by slick marketing? Do you think food stamps should be accepted at fast food restaurants?

About the author

Alonzo Peters is founder of MochaMoney.com, a personal finance website dedicated to helping Black America achieve financial independence.

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Comments (8)

Cheryl Monday - 12 / 09 / 2011 Reply

I am concerned that we think that poor people cannot think for themselves. The fact that fast food is available does not mean that you have to buy it. I would think that the poor are more victimized by the fact that in the hood there are no supermarkets or farmers markets where healthy food can be purchased.
Health Concerned Monday - 12 / 09 / 2011 Reply

Not to mention the use of High Frutose CornSyrup in the food massive amounts
Health Concerned Monday - 12 / 09 / 2011 Reply

Its About Choice when it comes to the poor, bag of carrots for $1 or a cheese burger with no health value that they are aware of
- Black2Reality Tuesday - 13 / 09 / 2011 Reply
  
  And the dumb mother who receives the public assistance won't choose the carrots for her children because he children won't eat veggies, nor does she know how to boil water w/o burning the pot! I know right now several women who would waste their entire benefits to buy their kids McD's instead of cooking at home for one because they are too lazy and for two because they don't know how to cook! If anything these gov programs should be offering cooking classes to young mothers and some of the older ones cause not everyone knows how to cook but has several children and $1000 in Food Stamps! What do you think the option would be???
Anonymous Monday - 12 / 09 / 2011 Reply

My main concern about this issue is for the health of the less fortunate. Allowing access to these unhealthy foods is only going to contribute to the already outrageous rates of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues that run rampant in our communities. That being said, I know that it can sometimes be a tedious task to have to come home and prepare a meal from scratch after working, going to school, and tending to children among other things. As a compromise, I would be more likely to support allowing access to hot foods at grocery store delis and food counters (ie. rotisserie chicken or hot sandwiches). While still not the ultimate standard for nutrition (most delis offer a good amount of deep fried options), they are still preferable to the pretty much 0 nutrition and high fat and calorie counts of fast food. Another option might be restricting use to restaurants like Subway, Boston Market, Panera Bread, and possibly KFC which have alternative menu choices to burgers and fries.
Jackie H. Monday - 12 / 09 / 2011 Reply

I think fast food should only be an occasional treat for all people...poor or rich....I would hope that fast food establishments aren't targeting the poor's meager resources, but it's possible...Can we say Tuskegee syphilis study?
April Wednesday - 14 / 09 / 2011 Reply

This is a tricky one. Food stamp acceptance at fast food restaurants wouldn't be ideal. However what exactly is being done about the boxes of ramen noodles and gallons of hawaiian punch being bought with food stamps. The bigger issue is lack of access to healthy food and education on how to eat healthy.
CreatingInCali Thursday - 15 / 09 / 2011 Reply

The tragedy in being poor is the lack of knowledge, understanding and ignorance of the truth. If you can please watch the documentary called "Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock (free on Hulu.com). According to Dieticians/Nutritionist people should never eat Fast Food and if they do only occasionally... Why doesn't our govt just stick with expert advice? IJS