Starting in 2009, pregnant British women will receive 120 Pounds, about $240 to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, the Observer reported. Naturally, the plan has come under criticism because there is nothing to stop women from spending the money on cigarettes and beer. At the same time, there is no arguing with evidence that a healthier diet during pregnancy works to prevent health problems for both mother and baby later in life.

The UK, it is important to note, has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy and one of the highest rates of maternal smoking in the industrialized world. Both conditions lead to a higher percentage of underweight babies being delivered. Trying to eat a better diet leads to a better awareness of healthy living in general. That said, eating more fruit and vegetables to have a healthier baby is not something you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out. So, why can’t women do it without the intervention of government programs?

The truth is that access to, and the cost of, healthy food is a problem in many “poorer” areas of the industrialized world. In my travels, and specifically I am thinking of Newfoundland, Canada, Atlanta in the USA, and Liverpool, UK, in particular, I have seen how it happens and the sites have stayed with me for years.

In a Newfoundland supermarket, when I was there, 3 heavily waxed apples were the same price as 2 chocolate bars.

In the city of Atlanta, Georgia, which – at least when I was there – was a ghost town of newly-renovated buildings that had been abandoned post-Olympics, there was no grocery store within walking distance of our hotel. Convenience shops abounded and, while they had an excellent selection of liquor, they didn’t carry things like milk or fresh produce.

In Liverpool, the number of take-away windows certainly outnumbered the green grocers and the cost of the produce in those few shops made the price of curry or chop suey with chips very attractive indeed.

And, what I remember most, is that in each of those places, it was easy to believe that there really is an obesity epidemic.

I really do think the pregnant women will spend the extra money on produce. To some of them, at least, fruit must be as much of a luxury as chocolate.

Post from: Babylune