When Cheap Costs More – The Hidden Cycle of Junk Food, Health, and Inequality

In a world overflowing with food options, many communities face a difficult choice: affordable junk food or costly healthier meals. This article examines how ultra processed and nutrient poor foods have become the default for low income households, not by preference but by necessity. Drawing on global data, it shows how healthy diets cost significantly more, fueling diet related illness, mental health challenges, and rising inequality. It also highlights policy tools such as subsidies, taxes, school nutrition programs, and labeling reforms that are helping shift food systems toward equity and well being.