All Roads Lead To Education

Although I do not know the exact numbers, I do know that the overwhelming majority of people in poverty have less education than those above the poverty line. This discrepancy is more exaggerated when we look at upper-middle and upper-class families. There seems to be a direct (though not perfect) correlation between education and wealth, which is what leads me to the conclusion that the lack of quality education in some places is a huge contributor to poverty.

When people are impoverished, food is one of the first things that suffer. There are so many inexpensive foods that are bad if consumed consistently. When money is tight, people rely on a value menu at a fast-food restaurant or a sodium-filled pack of noodles. Fresh produce and healthy meats tend to be expensive and hard to come by in some neighborhoods. All too often, children see cheap candy and chips more that they see a fresh salad throughout their entire childhood. Consuming foods from the smallest portion of the food pyramid will eventually have its effects. Diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure are only a few of the health issues that accompany obesity, especially in low-income areas.

The health issue can be solved if businesses started to relocate to the high-need areas. They could easily make healthy foods accessible and affordable. The reality is that we live in a capitalistic society. The chances of a corporation investing in a place where the profit is minimal is slim-to-none. Besides, that would merely put a bandage on the issue, not fix it.

The true solution lies in education. If our children are educated, they can not only afford to live in places where these foods exist, but they would also afford to buy them. The unhealthy inferior goods will no longer be a regular meal for these people. The first steps to fixing the education system is in funding, resources (including human capital), and facilities. Once the ball gets rolling on education, I insist that the number of unhealthy individuals would drop dramatically.