Summary and Analysis: Perth County Nutritious Food Basket Report

This report summarizes the Perth County Nutritious Food Basket report, which assesses the cost of a healthy diet and food affordability. The target audience includes the Board of Health of the Perth District Health Unit and related organizations. The Nutritious Food Basket, costing $169.55 weekly for a family of four, measures the budget for healthy eating based on nutritional recommendations. The report reveals food insecurity exists, with over half of those on social assistance struggling to afford food, impacting health through obesity and chronic illnesses. Limitations include overlooking individual preferences and restaurant purchases. The report highlights that food insecurity is not exclusive to the rich and is linked to consumption of unhealthy foods. The report emphasizes the connection between lack of proper diets and susceptibility to chronic diseases.

Nutritious food basket report summary 1
Summary of The Board of Perth District Nutritious Food Basket
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The target audience for the report is the Board of Health of the Perth District Health
Unit and their staff, employees of social services and advocacy groups. It is to be used in
defining the intent of the Nutritious Food Basket survey, increasing awareness of food
affordability issues and assist in advocating for adequate income and food for everyone
(Department, 2010).
The nutritious food basket survey is a measure of the budget of essential healthy
eating which represents present nutrition recommendations and standard food purchasing
patterns. In a typical family of four, with the adults estimated to be 31-50 years old with a
boy of about 14 to 18 years and a girl, 4 to 8 years, living in Perth county requires $169.55 a
week to acquire the minimum nutrition recommendations according to the 2010 results.
(Department, 2010)
These results assist the Health Unit in assessing how much social assistance and
minimum income wages is needed to meet essential household requirements. The data is then
used in addressing local poverty and hunger issues. More than half the people on social
assistance cannot afford to purchase food regularly hence creating food insecurity.
In the year 2004, 9.2% of households were found to be facing food insecurity with
lowest and lower middle categories being the most affected as well as those with children,
those depending on social assistance income or insurance from employment and those who
lived in rentals. Regardless, rural areas were found to be more food secure with 7.3% of the
population facing food insecurity. It is, however, likely that more of the population faces food
insecurity than that reported due to the sensitivity of responses of questionnaires.
(Department, 2010)
Food insecurity impacts the health of those who face it bringing about obesity given
the fact that people with low income opt for inexpensive foods that tend to be packed with

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high calories, fat, sugar and sodium rather than get healthy food packed with required
nutrients. In comparison to the rich, those facing food insecurity have more than twice the
percentage of diabetes, heart complications, arthritis, and/or rheumatism, more than thrice
chances of contracting bronchitis, 38% chances of disability, 95% ulcers, 33% more
circulatory complications and 63% higher chronic conditions. (Department, 2010)
The Nutritious food basket has several limitations. For instance, it does not put into
account individual preferences or purchasing locations, it only looks at grocery purchases
while 31% of food is bought in restaurants, expenditure of acquiring the food, such as
transport and lack of skills required in meal preparation which leads to purchase of foods
requiring less preparation which are more costly.
In conclusion, a review of the article “The Cost of Eating Well, Food Security in Perth
County Annual Report 2010” that obesity is not necessarily a disease for the rich but is
caused by continuous consumption of high sugar, sodium and calorie foods. Also, lack of
proper diets with the required nutrient consumption leads to susceptibility to chronic
illnesses.

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REFERENCES
Department, P. D. (2010). The Cost of Eating Well, Food Security in Perth County. Perth
County.