Yeah, in West Virginia almost everybody is obese. But to be fair when you're poor and unhealthy food is easily available and affordable, it can be a tough temptation to fight.

Especially if both parents have to work.

Which is generally the case for most families; lower and middle class.

I also blame the vapid consumer culture. Fiscal responsibility is possible on a single family income if you can plan ahead and not be suckered into buying every shiny new thing you see

I feel like a lot of poor people, even ones who aren’t inherently low IQ can fall into this trap

Lord knows I’ve been there

For sure

Vices like drugs and alcohol play into that as well

@Grossly Incandescent Many of those new shiny things are necessary to function in a technologically advanced society. For example, you literally cannot function or be productive today without a smart phone
We have more expenses than ever before and wages are stagnant or decreasing.

I remember going to Golden Corral in Tennessee as a child and being traumatized by the absolute size of the people

@Virgil good point, but in response to that I’ve had the same smart phone for about three years and have it paid off. Many in my situation would upgrade and lease the new more expensive model

Golden Corral is ground zero in my area

>golden corral

Dude everytime I think of that restaurant I immediately think of poverty

It deeply saddens me

Just like Dollar Stores

@Grossly Incandescent Very true, I see your point

@Grossly Incandescent Yeah same, I've had my iPhone for 5 years

@Virgil think more along the lines of a new flatscreen, leasing the latest model car, a new xbox. Shiny things that can’t be used to help you get out of poverty

for me it’s gross obesity

Things like phones are seen as status symbols as well.

Like new Nikes or expensive handbags

Even just leasing in general, my senior I took a personal finance class and that's turned me off of leasing/renting forever.

nothing like a trashbag full of popcorn shrimp

Saw someone on twitter say “women want free abortions and birth control but have iPhones”

Leasing cars, phones, furniture too.

Also Hi, I'm new here

Hi @Josh M. -OH !

@Thugged Out Pissed Off absolutely cursed

@Grossly Incandescent grrr women

Grrr indeed

Yeah thank god my dad is an accountant and taught me about fiscal responsibility from an early age

Status symbols for the poor are things like phones, TVs, brand name clothes, and even food. They cant afford a mortgage or reliable vehicles but they can eat like a king at Golden Corral with their new Nikes on and post about it to Instagram from their iPhone.

Poor people in really bad shape financially will do everything they can to dab on other poor people

More like Facebook

Facebook is more of a poor person thing I think

Everyone has had it beat into them that these things are important from the day mom plopped them in front of the TV.

Poor/old/low IQ

That is usually what I associate chronic facebook posters with.

If you're poor and life sucks but an iPhone makes you happy it's a difficult temptation to resist.

@Josh M. -OH