Why #surviveon35 Misses the Mark
| July 19, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Public Health Rambles |
First of all, I want to make it clear that this post isn’t meant to be a personal attack on anyone. This is simply the personal opinion of someone who has been reading about this challenge and comes from the perspective of a public health professional. Where we don’t all agree, there is room for civilized debate.
If you haven’t yet heard about the #surviveon35 challenge, the basic premise is this: for 7 days, a team of 10 bloggers (in cooperation with Anytime Fitness and Fitfluential) are being challenged to “survive — and even thrive — on [a] meager allowance” of $35/per adult ($20 per child). This allowance is for their food budget only — while they aren’t allowed to use existing pantry staples when preparing meals, this allotment of money does not apply to any other weekly expenses they may have.
When the co-founders of Anytime Fitness went on ABC’s Secret Millionaire earlier this year, they had to feed themselves on a mere $35 each for an entire week, the same amount you’d receive on government assistance. They showed that not only could it be done, but it could be done in a healthy way.
Now, Anytime Fitness is challenging ten health bloggers to do the same. Can they survive – and even thrive – on this meager allowance for a full seven days? We are about to find out!
How does the challenge work?
Let’s do the math. $35, 7 days, and 21 meals. That’s just $1.66 per meal. Of course, those with families to feed will have a larger budget ($35 per adult and $20 per child). It’s no small feat, but our bloggers are up to the task!
These ten brave bloggers will strive to eat healthy and tasty foods within this budget for one week. They’ll be posting shopping lists, recipes, and food photos along the way, so you can follow along.
How will the winners be selected, and what do they win?
At the end of the challenge, two winners will be selected by Anytime Fitness based on the healthiness, taste, and creativity of their meals. Sharing helps, too. We will take likes, tweets, and comments into consideration.
The two winners will receive a $1,000 donation to the food shelf of their choice.
I respect that the founders of Anytime Fitness had a life changing experience as a part of the Secret Millionaire, and that they now desire to draw more attention to the issues of poverty and hunger. I also think it’s wonderful that money will be donated to food pantries at the end of the challenge. So I do see the potential for good in all of this. Unfortunately, that’s about where my positive feedback about the challenge ends.
Because I don’t want my points to get lost, let’s break it down, shall we?
The Wording
First of all, there’s the way this whole thing is phrased. Framing it as a “challenge“ makes it sound like a big game — whether the bloggers themselves see it that way or not. I don’t really think it needs to be reiterated that hunger and poverty are not games. For most people, this situation is not a choice. It is a harsh reality they face each and every day. “Competing” to see who can make the most creative/cheapest meals on a food stamp budget makes light of that.
The organizers also call the bloggers “brave” and suggest that people can “thrive” on “the same amount as [they'd] receive on government assistance.”
Do I think it’s great that bloggers who are used to spending money on organic foods are stepping out of their comfort zones as they try to form healthy meals on less? Yes. But they certainly aren’t brave. Especially when they are being sponsored by companies to do so, and the worst that can come of all this is receiving negative feedback on their websites.
Secondly, while it certainly is possible to “thrive” on a lower food budget (healthy meals don’t always have to be super expensive), bringing food stamps and government assistance into the discussion sends the wrong message. Besides the fact that food stamps are unfortunately associated with stigma and talks of challenging yourself to survive on them can sound condescending, the way that the entire challenge is phrased seems to imply that a person can thrive on government assistance. Clearly there are a whole host of issues associated with this implication. I would like to believe that this isn’t really the organizers’ intent, but that doesn’t change the fact that this could have been worded a bit more sensitively.
Not to mention the fact that comparing the $35 budget these bloggers will live on for the week to the amount a person would receive on food stamps is inaccurate. Without getting into too much detail, the amount of assistance an individual/family receives depends on many things — such as the state they live in, household size, other resources available (such as wages) or other forms of assistance a person receives, and expenses like child support and rent. (You can find more information here.)
I do not think this challenge would have suffered in any way had they left out any talk of government assistance. In fact, I think that it would have greatly limited the amount of negative feedback these bloggers have been getting.
The Context
I would honestly hope that none of the individuals participating truly believe that they are experiencing what it would be like to survive on government assistance. Unfortunately, many statements that have been made by both participating bloggers and individuals who have commented in support suggest otherwise. The statement that “I am going to SHOW YOU that it is possible to eat healthy on $35 a week” and the sentiment that: “If I can do it, you can too!” is just ridiculous. Just because a healthy living blogger — who has access to a car to drive to a full-service supermarket, can pay for their own gas, has a working kitchen with many appliances, and is already primed to eat healthy — can figure out ways to survive on a smaller food budget for a week does not mean that someone who is on government assistance can do the same.
This is a challenge set in the wrong context. Individuals who face poverty deal with many more factors than their weekly food allowance. There are huge (often insurmountable) issues of access. Many individuals do not live in an area with a full service grocery store, nor do they have a car to get there. They may need to rely on public transportation (which often has limitations on the number of bags you can carry on – I know the bus system in Rhode Island does)…and this in the midst of any other competing priorities, such as raising a family on a single income, working long hours, dealing with issues of safety, paying other bills. Regardless of the intentions of the challenge, it simplifies the issue in a way that does an injustice to low income families. Particularly since this challenge does not appear to incorporate any sort of education around food deserts, poverty issues, policies that can improve access to healthy foods, the types of foods available at food banks, etc.
Again, just because a blogger sacrifices buying organics for the store brand for one week and knows how to put together a healthy breakfast with Greek yogurt does not make this a realistic example.
The “Cause”
Another term that I have seen thrown around in regards to this challenge is that these bloggers should be commended for raising awareness and support of “the cause.” However – I’m confused about which cause they are referring to? The cause of not being able to shop at Whole Foods for a week? The cause of getting more publicity for Anytime Fitness (because I’m sorry, but if the company didn’t want publicity from this, their name wouldn’t be associated with every tweet and post about it)? Or is it the cause that $35 per person per week is enough food money for a low income family? I truly am baffled by this. Since the object of the challenge is to see who can create the healthiest, tastiest, and most creative meals on only $35, it seems to imply that this amount should be more than sufficient to do so.
I get that operating on a lower food budget for a week requires extra planning and creativity. But I can’t help but think the “cause” would have been better served if there weren’t a winner at the end. And if the purpose of this whole thing was to actually bring visibility to the fact that government assistance should be increased, or that we need to have better policies in place to help more individuals “thrive” on their own — not on food stamps.
The Visibility
You can read what I’ve written above and tell me that I’m missing the point, or that I’m reading too much into this or even that I’m simply being a “hater.” Fine. We can agree to disagree. However, you cannot argue with the fact that the publicity around this thing has been ridiculous.
This is called the Secret Millionaire Challenge. Now, I’ve never been on the show, but I was under the impression that the entire premise was for a millionaire to secretly go into a deprived/low income neighborhood and live on a low budget among the community. Sure, there’s a big emotional reveal at the end, but they don’t spend the entire week telling everyone they come in contact with that they are really rich people who are being so “brave” to go and live as though they are low income.
So I don’t see how this is the same thing. My Twitter feed had been clogged with individuals telling us just how cheap they were able to make their breakfast. It was made clear right from the start that there are two millionaires (co-founders of Anytime Fitness) who were sponsoring the challenge. And part of the criteria winners will be judged on includes Facebook likes, tweets, and comments on their posts. …i.e. the person who garners the most publicity for what they are doing.
You can say you are doing good, but the fact that you need everyone to know it makes it seem just a little bit less genuine.
How it Could Have Been Better
This post is really long already, but I hate to criticize without giving any sort of suggestions about how I think it could have been improved. I do not think the challenge is bad in theory, just in execution.
Here are ways that I think the challenge could have been more positive overall:
1.) Leave food stamps/government assistance out of the discussion.
Instead, frame the challenge as bloggers learning to survive on a restricted budget for the week. Or, better yet, have a two-week challenge where the blogger keeps track of what he/she normally spends, and then is challenged to cut that in half or by a certain percentage the next week and see how they make that work.
2.) If you must talk about government assistance, don’t make this an actual challenge to see who can create the best/cheapest meals, and please stop talking about how these bloggers are going to “show” people that it is possible to eat healthy while living on government assistance.
Better guidelines could have encouraged bloggers to shop at convenience stores or even a Price-Rite/Shop-Rite. It can often be much harder to find fresh produce and healthy meal options at these types of stores than your local Publix or Stop ‘n Shop. Finding ways to make healthy meals on $35 based on shopping at a convenience store would have been a much more difficult challenge — one that required creativity and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. Guidelines also could have required that bloggers only go to one store, or get there by public transportation…basically anything that would more closely mimic other obstacles that a person on government assistance would face.
3.) Include some education.
I know this challenge has just started, so we don’t know what will come of it. I truly hope that bloggers do more than write about their cheap meals for the week. If they took this opportunity to educate themselves and their readers on the issues, investigate local policies, see what types of food products are carried at their local convenience store or offered in the food pantry, I believe a lot more good could come of this.
In summary – - the tl;dr version: I know that the end result is money donated to a food pantry, and I think that’s wonderful (I really do!). I just wish the challenge would have been better thought out. Because as it stands, #surviveon35 really missed the mark.
Very well crafted post, Lauren. I wholeheartedly agree with the points you bring up – I think the whole thing just tries to accomplish too much. When I first read about it, I have to admit, I was selfish in my reasons for finding interest in it – after all, who doesn’t want to get a few tips on making lower-cost healthy meals? However, that’s all I really get out of it – I don’t believe that those who survive on low amounts of cash to feed themselves and their families are particularly interested in the meals being created in the challenge – not because they’re not delicious looking, but more due to the fact that people with lower incomes are (in general – not categorizing everyone) more interested in simply fulfilling the need of nourishment than creating a creative menu.
On another personal note, I am NOT a fan of Anytime Fitness – terrible membership experience. If they want more publicity / customers / satisfied customers, they really need to get rid of their third-party billing.
/endrant
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THANK YOU! I completely agree particularly about this phrase,”the sentiment that: “If I can do it, you can too!” is just ridiculous.”. Some of these bloggers, for example, don’t even work a full time job or they have a college education (just to name a few) the difference in background is not something to be discounted and it shouldn’t be presented as a “teaching” moment.
Another thing that really bugs me is that the bloggers getting the feed back are all surprised and have labeled those giving the constructive criticism as being “haters”. Um no its simply pointing out what is missing from a campaign that wasn’t really thought out.
Money to food pantries is always great but, I would like to see some of these bloggers go volunteer at one. Is anyone doing this challenge connected at all to food access issues?!
Lauren, what a great, thought-provoking post. I don’t think you’re off the mark at all, I think you are spot on. I enjoyed reading your thoughts and also hope the participating bloggers will use this opportunity for more education as well.
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Hallelujah. Amen. THANK YOU!
I’d love to go on and on about my thoughts and how angry I’ve been about this, but it would just be preaching to the choir. I do want to say that $70 for a week for two people is way more than anyone actually gets on SNAP… it’s more like $50. Oh yea, and I’d also like to see participants live in a major city and have to take transportation to purchase their groceries. Then we might actually have a closer picture to what it’s really like.
So Lauren, my challenge to us both is should we do this the right way? Should we actually figure out what our level of benefit would be and have to figure out how to make it work? I think Emily actually did a really good job with something similar through her job (http://anutritionisteats.com/thoughts-on-the-snap-challenge/), granted she actually has some perspective on hunger in America.
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I was actually talking to Evan about that very thing last night, because he wanted to know what I would have done differently. I think it could be very eye-opening with a different frame and in the right context…though it would definitely require some more thought to flesh out.
Thank you for sending me that post. I really liked her approach and her reflections on the challenge, particularly since her conclusion wasn’t something along the lines of “I ate healthy on this budget so you can too!”
I felt off about this challenge and this summed up all of my thoughts. I was actually discussing this with my family and I couldn’t quite articulate why I felt it was wrong and poorly construed, but I knew it felt condescending and just inaccurate. It actually made me feel a little angry because these bloggers acting as though they are taking a step down to see “how the other half lives”, when in reality everyones situation is different. Families have children to care for without the luxury of being able to even sit down for dinner and make full meals due to work schedules and children’s schedules. Plus, like you said, each state has different guidelines and conditions on where they can shop, accessibility to foods, etc. Shopping at a major supermarket is very different from being limited to convenient stores or drug stores, which is what individuals are most likely shopping at.
I think the ultimate goal of what these bloggers are trying get across is good in terms of public health. A lot of families, whether they receive government assistance or not, tend to focus less on nutrition and more on convenience which is evidenced by the obesity epidemic taking over the United States. It’s a good thing to be able to show that it is possible to eat healthy on less money, however those who receive assistance from the government are definitely not the only group who could benefit from learning how to eat healthy on a budget. Education is always a good thing but it’s hard to get your point across when it’s blocked by erroneous information.
This is such an awesome coesntt! Love the look on Mariah’s face when they won. Dad, why are you bouncing me around? Mom, why are you jumping around like a crazy person? What’s all this screaming about a college fund? Also, what a great prize for the runner ups! A free phone and a ticket to one of the 12 Days? I’d almost take that over the money!
A blogger with common sense and actual facts, i.e. how this amount is not reflective of the amount of money someone on food stamps or cash assistance will necessarily receive. How refreshing! I can’t believe that no bloggers doing this (that I’ve seen) have even bothered to look up what they’d actually receive in their own state. If you’re going to make it about food stamps, learn about them! Get your facts right, ya know? Thanks for bring some hope back to healthy living blogs ; )
Excellent post. My particular issue was the “awareness of the cause” one — which was something I saw more from commenters than from bloggers themselves, granted, but that almost makes it a bigger problem. What is the cause to which we are bringing awareness? The amount of government assistance that’s received (and whether that’s enough or too much or too little)? The existence of poverty?
It seems like by focusing the “challenge” on government assistance — whether the involved bloggers end up thinking $35 is too much or too little or just right — it’s going to end up making a political statement. And that’s potentially tough territory, especially if it’s not something the bloggers or their sponsors are prepared for.
Also, the entire Secret Millionaire thing bugs me and has since the show started. But: My official prediction is that at the end of the week, EVERYONE ends up getting $1000 to donate to a food pantry. That would be a reality-TV-style twist. (Which, I mean, would be great! Just not in the right context, as you said.)
Lauren,
Thanks for taking the time to write all this out. I haven’t paid much attention to this challenge but did see one or two posts and rolled my eyes, and you documented all the reasons very well.
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I think somewhat patronising, condescending and ‘gimmicky’ schemes like this often fall down when a professional such as yourself (or even someone who knows what they’re talking about – I think these companies assume that everyone is the same kind of ignorant and naive bimbo and any ‘technical’ remarks just soar way over our heads because we don’t have the insight to question them) points out the many flaws in these glorified publicity stunts for various companies and #FITFLUENTIAL (if I ever see that # again I’ll scream – I hate everything it stands for).
It’s ludicrous to describe these people as ‘brave’ because the challenge lasts one week. 7 days. Some people have to ‘survive and thrive’ on a very low income for a lifetime – I am sure the novelty wears off somewhat when you’re living hand to mouth every single day.
However, I do like the fact that you balanced the criticism with suggestions for improvement – I had ‘issues’ with the challenge too but any post of mine would have read as an angry rant, not a careful, considered and pointed commentary in the manner of your post.
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Very well said.
The publicity really bugged me, even before I knew anything about the sponsoring company. I was raised in a family that finds it important to be giving and charitable, but we were also told that we shouldn’t be braggarts about our good deeds.
I also think it could have been improved if they approached bloggers who regularly write about issues of access to healthy and affordable food for poor and marginalized people. I’m only familiar with two of the bloggers doing the challenge. One (Erika @ Black Girl’s Guide to Weightloss) does write frequently about food policy, but the other only blogs about her workouts and daily food intake.
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Well written. I didn’t really see anything about this until I saw your tweet yesterday, then I started doing some research. I had a lot of thoughts about it, including those that you stated here, but your post is SO much more comprehensive than the general ideas I had. Thanks for educating me a little more. I truly hope that others will read this (more the readers of the blogs than the bloggers themselves) and see a different perspective than “OMG, you are so awesome for doing this!”
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Very well said.
My main issue with this challenge is the “if I can eat healthy on X amount of money so can you!” Some of those (I’ll not make a blanket statement) who are below the poverty line and accepting government assistance may not KNOW how to eat healthfully. Or to cook at all.
I couldn’t agree with you more.
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First off as a public health educator I have somehow missed this “challenge” WOW. But after reading about what the bloggers are supposed to do, I am simply speechless. I live downtown DC and am very blessed to live 1 block from a brand new safeway. There is no whole foods within 5 miles from me BUT i do have easy access to tons of fresh fruits and veggies. You are 100% correct in the fact that many people who do rely on food stamps and govt assistance live in areas where they only have access to fast foods and corner stores where apples are $1.25 each. It breaks my heart to think these bloggers are missing the bigger picture. What funnier to me is that most of the people who do live on “$35″ will never read their blogs in the first place… let alone where their posts “SHOW” them how to cook healthy on a tiny budget. thanks for posting this and for your honesty. i love how many healthy living blogs don’t really ever account for PUBLIC health.
Awesome awesome post…summed up my thoughts as a food policy person. And I haven’t seen anyone mention all the controversy around SNAP lately, there was even a congressional briefing on it yesterday!
Well said Lauren, great post. After watching Part 4 of Weight of the Nation this weekend, I was thinking #Surviveon35 missed the fact that while people may have the money to spend, healthy foods may not be readily available. For example, a small bodega that sells chips, soda, etc. is not going to have broccoli and apples. And if they DID, it wouldn’t be for as cheap as they supply the less nutritious foods. 39 cent bag of chips vs $1.50 apple. Hmm. Let me think. If I were faced with those options on a limited income, it would certainly be hard to go the produce route. If you can’t just hop in your car to go to a different grocery store because an item is on sale, it makes things difficult.
There are so many other circumstances which haven’t been factored in. And the word “challenge” isn’t helping either. It would be great if the bloggers could do a few hands-on activities, like checking out a local food pantry and providing their readers with more than “hey look what I can do!”
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I completely agree with this. I wondered at first if I was the only one bothered by this campaign. I studied nutrition in college and talked a lot about poverty and hunger and like you, feel that this completely misses the mark.
Great points here. I think the big issue I had with this campaign is the fact that it’s very unlikely that anyone following this campaign or reading these blogs actually uses SNAP. You make great points about food desserts and lack of cars, etc. Another big challenge is that people often don’t know how to prepare the healthy food…even if they can access it, they don’t know what to do with it (or how to use a knife, etc). So these bloggers are at a huge advantage there. I think it’s a good concept but agree the execution was poor.
Thank you for this post. I had a vague sense of unease about the “challenge”, but you were able to articulate the reasons why it falls short so well. It is an interesting idea in theory, but I found myself wanting more.
I kept thinking I’d love to see someone write more in depth on the issue of government assistance, access to food, and why this matters, which you did wonderfully. I’d rather read this than a week’s worth of posts on how cheap someone’s dinner was the night before.
This is great! I appreciate that you are willing to stand up against something, but do so in a very diplomatic, unemotional way. I didn’t really know much about this challenge, but I completely agree with your points.
Bravo.
Awesome post.
As most other commenters have said, when I was reading about the challenge I knew I was really uncomfortable with it, but was struggling to put into words why it bothered me so much. Your post summed it up perfectly! There is SO much hypocrisy in the idea that these bloggers will “show” us that eating well on $35/week can be done, yet also bring awareness to the “cause,” by which I assume they mean poverty. This challenge would only give the mistaken impression that our current food stamp system is sufficient when it very clearly is not. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this!
I just want to say THANK YOU for this post. A couple of the blogs I frequent are participating in this challenge, and when I was reading through the description I felt pretty much the exact way you do.
I am working with a hunger advocacy organization in Vermont, and this challenge is frankly disrespectful to food insecure people all across the country. We do a lot of SNAP outreach in the state, and the fact of the matter is that many Vermonters who recieve benefits still face many barriers to accessing and purchasing food. Especially for an issue with so much stigma, it strikes me as extremely smug and out of touch to use the word ‘thrive’ when it comes to government food assistance. Especially in a political climate where these types of benefits and programs are facing serious threats to survival, it is so offensive to me that people are using wording in a challenge like this that suggests that anyone can survive on food assistance benefits. It is simply not true.
What a wasted opportunity to really shed some light on the serious issues of hunger, food access, food insecurity, and nutrition education in this country. I hope the bloggers participating in this challenge and especially those who created it read your post for a little perspective and some education.
YES. I completely agree with your suggestions. Sadly, I think a lot of suggestions for “change” (not just food related, but in society in general) start out like this. Maybe it’s just America’s “mentality”? I think it’s good that it has people talking, and like you said the outcome is a donation to a food shelter, but it’s like putting a bandaid on something that needs surgery. There are so many elements to this issue and the approach taken seems so impractical.
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This is the first “non support” of #surviveon35 that I’m commenting on. Unfortunately many of the negative comments have been somewhat mean spirited. I appreciate your well thought out response, you have been very fair in your criticisms.
I should state that I’m not officially participating in the campaign but I’m following along and have been making efforts to make a few meals on the $1.66 or less. And yes, I am a supporter of this campaign.
I think that people (such as yourself) with criticisms of this challenge are really being far too hard on these bloggers.
For example, if a blogger wrote about cancer fighting foods with anti-oxidants in it, would you also expect them to find a cure for cancer? I realize that this example is a tad dramatic but you get the point.
You certainly gave good feedback about what you would have done differently. I wonder if you might take the challenge on yourself and use the guidelines that you’ve mentioned above. It’s easy to point out faults (and again you have been very respectful) but it’s another thing to walk the talk. I’d certainly read along if you go down that path.
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Thank you very much for taking the time to read and respectfully comment (and tweet!) even though you disagree. I completely understand that we don’t all see eye-to-eye on this issue and I do appreciate having a debate.
I respect your statement that these criticisms might be too hard on the bloggers and I understand that these are individuals who blog about healthy living. They aren’t food policy experts. I guess I just feel that if you take on a challenge like this (and say that it is an issue you care about), it is your responsibility to do a little background research and to provide more information besides how cheap your lunch was. I also think people need to be more careful about the types of statements they make – such as the fact that if they can eat healthy on this budget others should too. Unfortunately I have seen some pretty awful comments on blogs from those in support of the challenge that imply that individuals who aren’t eating healthy on government assistance are lazy or don’t have the right priorities, etc. I know that a blogger can’t be responsible for every single comment on their public blog, but I do think there is a lot of misinformation and stereotyping going on. And I would have really liked to see more education/information provided around these issues. I wouldn’t have a problem with a challenge that simply shows you can eat healthy on a lower budget – I think that would be interesting! But as some other people have commented, when you bring in talks of government assistance/SNAP, it is bound to get political…and it implies something a little deeper than just trying to find healthy meals on only $35.
In terms of the cancer example, I know you say it’s a bit dramatic but I just don’t see it as the same thing at all. Again, I take issue with the attitude of “if I can do it, you can too.” Setting yourself up as an example is a little more than simply presenting the information.
And to your last point – I’ve actually given it a lot of thought. You are right that it is one thing for me to sit here and provide criticism…another thing altogether for me to actually challenge myself. WIthout going into too much detail, the issue does hit a bit close to home. I lost my job due to a loss of grant funding and although we have my husband’s income to lean on, he is paid mainly on commission…which he won’t get until the end of the year. I also live in a rural area where the nearest real grocery store is a half hour drive and I don’t have any access to public transportation. This is obviously something that we did by choice, so I know that it’s not the same thing at all, but it presents its own challenges. I would definitely be open to figuring out what my level of SNAP benefits would be and living on that budget for the week. As I mentioned to Alex above, figuring out how exactly I would frame it would require a little more thought (and of course, a lot of planning!).
Thank you again for your comment and for giving me more to think about. I apologize that my response was so long-winded!
I could not agree more with anything that is written here. I’m halfway through my MPH and working on an event on Weight of the Nation for our program with some people who were involved in the planning. And I kind of feel like this is doing the exact opposite of what it should. The purpose of Weight of Nation was to bring awareness to obesity and the factors surrounding it. And to disseminate it further into communities and cities so that people are aware and looking for solutions. Not just to tweet about it all day.
Incredible post Lauren. From one Public Health nerd to another, your post hit the nail on the head. The first thing that really bothered me was the use of the word ‘brave’, and you seriously took the words out of my mouth when you summarized why it was a poor choice. Sometimes I feel programs like this are put into motion before the idea has had enough time to evolve and mature into the best program possible and someone involved in this idea jumped the gun too quickly.
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Thanks for reading my mind HELLLLOOOO. When I saw this “campaign” it was through a blogger, so I thought it was just a challenge, not a public health endeavor. Tell them to come shop in the *LOW* income neighborhood I work in in NYC. Trust me, I’ve tried on my lunch hour. I wish they would do “pop up” stands where they teach cooking classes in low income neighborhoods. My pastor challenged my church to live on $2 a day for a week leading up to a food pantry service event and food donation drive to help the congregation realize the struggles and needs in the community. This created a huge volunteer force that is still helping with homeless shelters and food banks today. THAT made a difference. This feels like a game.
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I didn’t become aware of this “challenge” until last night, but like everyone else, I find it condescending and making light of something that is very serious and very much NOT a game.
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First time reader of your blog, but I just wanted to thank you for such a great post. I have been reading about this “contest,” and think it’s not only inaccurate, but offensive. I hope that they realize their errors and take steps to correct them, or at least show regret for the structure of this “contest” and how much damage it can potentially do. We need to move forward to help our nation’s obesity problem, and this only hinders progress.
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First time reader, but this is a fantastic post. It highlights the problems of this challenge in a clear manner, and suggests ways to improve it. Great post.
Excellent post! The contest is offensive. Sure, the ‘prize’ is a donation to a food pantry, which is excellent. But, I imagine that the bloggers participating in the ‘challenge’ have some education when it comes to being a savvy shopper, etc, and grocery stores and or farmers markets that sell fresh produce. The mom with three kids living in the middle of a large city probably doesn’t have many choices when it comes to buying fresh produce.
I’m a beer blogger, so wtf am I even doing here?
First off, I’ve been heavily involved in voicing my opinion on how hurtful and mislead this whole challenge is. But When i get as upset as this has made me, all I can muster up at times is a meager “if you don’t understand why this is offensive, fuck you.” Sorry for my language, but growing up on foodstamps and growing up poor, this really, really offended me. And it warms my heart to see people speaking out against it.
I loved your post, it touched on every single issue about it that bothered me. I can not thank you enough. I only hope that some people can see our opposing view for what it really is, and not just dismiss it as haters and other nonsense
Thank you for this post! I find the survive on 35 challenge challenge to be extremely offensive. I think bloggers need to acknowledge bigger systems of power that contribute towards hunger sch as racism, classism, lack of access to education, etc. Also, there is the whole concept of privilege! This “challenge” drives me insane!!!
Love this post! I couldn’t agree more! I think the concept is great, but the execution was poor. And attaching the food stamps part to it is just insulting. Living on food stamps is about a lot more than a small grocery budget. And neglecting those factors is very condescending.
Daphne @ Candy Coated Runner´s last post ..Few Words Wednesday – New Discoveries
This. Like you, I see a ton of potential for this initiative if it was really thought through in relation to the way things really are. I live in what is pretty much a food desert; a mostly poorer neighborhood with two grocery stores that are MORE expensive than ones in rich areas. My husband and I are doing fine financially, and we won’t shop in them because they are so pricey. We have the luxury of driving to other areas, but many of the people in the area have to make do with what they can get there, which is probably not from the organic produce aisle because a few items would kill their entire budget!
I just think for many of the people who do this “challenge” there’s a huge distance between their own experiences in life and the day-to-day conditions people living in poverty face. It’s not as easy as, “if I can do it, so can “they”".
Thank you for taking the time to post this, Lauren. Like Jacob, the “challenge” hits a little too close to home and I get angry thinking about how misleading it is. It’s nice to see my anger get put into a well-thought-out post.
[...] I read Health on the Run’s post “Why Survive on 35 Misses the Mark” and honestly I agree with a lot of her points. The topic of welfare, food stamps, and [...]
Thank you for commenting on this. This *stunt* just feels like another opportunity for the “elite” in our society to blame poor people for their circumstances. See how easy it is to eat healthy on barely any money? What’s your problem? Particularly the *context* portion of your post spoke to me. I wish people would spend less time finding ways to excuse themselves from actually understanding what it is to be poor and need assistance, and more time really getting down and dirty with the people who are needy and figuring out REAL solutions for them. This will just end being another way for people to pass off the poverty problem in our country as the fault of those who suffer.
AMEN! Thank you so much for posting your perspective on this! I can relate to a lot of the things you said about this whole event and agree with you that if the purpose is to draw attention to the severe poverty that plagues our country…they ‘challenge’ is clearly missing the mark.
Thank you for this post. I agree with you about the cons of this “challenge” and things that could have been done differently. While this challenge had good intentions, I do think the execution could have been done better.
On a (sort of) related note, I’ve learned (through personal experience and work experience) that some individuals who have not been in a similar situation themselves do not necessarily understand the complexity of food insecurity. Not a jab at any of the bloggers as even fellow dietetic students and professionals have made comments that had me asking if we’d sat through the same classes on the social determinants of health. The answer to being unemployed is not simply “getting a job”, the answer to a mother going back to work is not simply “two incomes are better than one”, and the answer to eating healthy on a budget is not simply “plan healthy balanced meals, prepare things in advance, compare prices per unit and calculate cost per serving, etc”. That’s one part of it but there are a lot of things that come before you ever get to that point. Unfortunately, some commenters are making harsh remarks about those who are on government assistance without thinking of or fully understanding the bigger picture.
Thank goodness you’re more eloquent than I am (and have a blog).
I’m always surprised when people don’t understand that it’s not simply the cost of food that stops people from eating healthy. Lack of access to supermarkets, vehicles, and time are just as prohibitive. I know that a lof of bloggers are very fortunate but it seems like they don’t understand that there are families where no one has a 9-5 job. Where there’s one person, or two people, working (several) minimum wage jobs. Where there’s simply no time to roast a whole chicken and make an assortment of sides from foods that spoil quickly. It just seems like people don’t realize that not everyone has a stainless steel fridge with a fancy drawer to keep their veggies crisp.
I remember seeing this terribly offensive infographic floating around Facebook a few months ago and it shocked me: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3324130544060 The caption “”Only rich people can afford to eat healthy food” is one of the most dangerous, depressing, and disempowering myths in America” misses the point so much that I was speechless. I wanted to comment on it but never could put my thoughts into words. This challenge reminds me of that. It’s so misguided.
Love this post so much. I really dislike this “challenge” and you summed up a lot of the flaws I see in it. You hit the nail on the head with the comments on access. I’m surprised the challenge and bloggers talk about food stamps yet don’t talk about food deserts and access which is such a huge part of this equation.
I’ve lived in a low income area without a car and frankly, it’s hard to get access to good food sometimes. Within walking distance there was an all-you-can-eat Southern buffet, a burger king, and a gas station. Anything else involved a car or bus ride as the closest grocery store was 4 miles away. When you don’t have easy access to grocery stores and healthy food and you are working full time you tend to accept what is closest and easiest. Perhaps the lack of this type of experience and the fact that all the bloggers have easy access to grocery stores and plenty of time for this challenge is a big part of what makes it feel so wrong to me.
It just feels a bit offensive for someone who has so many extra advantages to do this “challenge” and act like they are shining some sort of light on all the poors and how they should eat better with their tiny budgets. It’s a little more complicated then not shopping at the “fancy” stores and spending an extra 1-2 hours a day preparing all your meals.
Lauren,
Your post was very well thought out and your response reflects the tremendous passion you have shown in your life and work for the problems poor people have finding healthy alternatives. I admire you for taking a position and having the confidence and guts to talk about it publicly. This, unfortunately, is becoming a rare trait amongst today’s writers.
Great job as always!
Dad
Hi Lauren’s dad!
Just wanted to say that it is awesome to see such amazing support and it really warmed my heart to see this comment. You certainly have an amazing, talented daughter.
Best!
Krissy
Krissy @ Shiawase Life´s last post ..Fairview 5K recap!
Umm wow. So I saw this “challenge” on some blogs and didn’t really read the posts and just thought it was about budgeting- I had no idea it was about food stamps. Because why would comparing this challenge to living on food stamps make ANY sense?! I can’t even imagine what was going through those Anytime Fitness execs’ heads. Just… wow. Food insecurity is about so much more than the actual cost of food, and you’re 100% right, they completely missed the mark and made light of such an important issue.
Thank you for this extremely well written and well thought out post. I hope the Anytime Fitness people read it and allow all the bloggers to “win” the food pantry money. It would also be nice if they made a public apology and donated their profits for this month to a foundation that awards grants to improving food security, but we all know that won’t happen.
Jen´s last post ..Back to bootcamp
Lauren. Thank you so much for articulating exactly what I’ve been trying to but have been to angry to express. I tweeted to you that this entire thing makes me insanely anxious. I just finished graduate school and am $100,000 in debt, doing an unpaid internship in Chicago. I can’t find a job. I do not know when I will get one. I am really sad how this is framed. I use SNAP to buy food. I use the extra from my school loans to buy food. I know that when I completely run out of money I have a family that can help me. I am lucky. Most people on SNAP are not that lucky.
Couple points to add to your wonderful post. First of all people living on a strict budget are not thriving. I’ll say it. Yup, I eat healthy on a small budget. I don’t eat out. I turn down coffee dates/lunch/dinner at restaurants. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t buy items like ice cream for dessert or fresh herbs. I plan everything. I eat dried beans every day. I am healthy. I make it work. I am training for a marathon. I have to make it work. Yup I buy Greek yogurt but I don’t have cable, I don’t buy cloths, and I don’t go to movies/concerts. But I am so stressed out that there are few days that I don’t cry when I spend $$. I bought organic peaches at a farmers market cried when I got home because it cost 6.00 for six peaches. Sure, a family can get in their frozen veggies but when a mom cries because she has no health insurance that is not thriving. What I’m trying to say is that ‘thriving’ is more than being able to eat cheaply like health is more than being free of disease. I want to stress here that I am so so so lucky and NOT reflective of the population we are talking about. I have the extra from my student loans, a grandma and aunts who are very generous, and parents that would never let me starve. Most importantly I have a wonderful support system to get me through mentally. Most people don’t.
Another huge point that you hit on is that many families on tiny food budgets don’t have cars. They don’t have grocery stores. I don’t have a car. I can’t drive to different stores because they have the best sales. I live in a 250 square foot apartment that lacks a full size fridge. I can’t buy items when they are on sale and store for later.
I would be a lot more comfortable with the entire thing if the bloggers were asked to keep track of how much money they spent on food for a week. If it has to be a contest, the blogger who reduced their spending by the largest % could ‘win’ I do not like it is tied to government assistance. It is extremely condescending. Small food budgets are a REALITY for people and are typically long term.
I’m done
Thank you.
Emily´s last post ..16 miles, meetup.com, work snacks
I kinda wanna hug you
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Emily, thanks for taking the time to comment, it really helps to understand the full spectrum of this issue to read thoughts from people who really ‘put their money where their mouth is’ everyday – not for a challenge, or for notoriety, but because that’s their (your) life.
Krissy @ Shiawase Life´s last post ..Fairview 5K recap!
Great reply. Thanks for sharing.
Lauren, this post was wonderfully thought provoking and amazingly articulated.
As an avid healthy living blogger and a communications professional, I often question the types of “healthy living” marketing put out by organizations and think critically about the true meaning behind these types of campaigns – but never take the time to pick the underling messages apart.
I often blog about reasons to be fortunate and grateful for the blessings in your own life, and after reading this post have realized more advocacy needs to be done surrounding food security. People need to stop obsessing about what the media and popular culture deem as “cool” and think about what really matters to real people. I thank you for taking the time to dig deeper into the messaging and share what all of us should have been thinking, but never took the time to reflect on.
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Yes, yes, yes, and…yes.
Frankly, I find the whole idea of this contest kind of offensive because, well, being poor isn’t a fucking contest. They can call it a challenge all they want, but they’re rewarding people for this so…yeah.
As an aside, when I was in college I worked a couple Oxfam events. There was one dinner they did where they had two tables, a section with chairs only, and an even larger section where you sat on the floor. As you came in you randomly got put in a section, and most people ended up having to sit on the floor. Those who sat on the floor got rice. Those who could sit on the chair got rice and beans or rice with a small piece of chicken. And the people at the two tables got a fully catered meal. The whole point was to illustrate income divide and what percentage of people simply don’t have the option of getting to eat whatever they want, and when you were forced to SEE it – it was really effective.
What I see here is a bunch of bloggers bragging about how little they can spend. Sigh.
I hadn’t heard about this challenge before you posted about it. I definitely agree with the points you make and think that it does make light of the terrible situation that many people have to live in. One of my friends is in a graduate nutrition program, and they had to do this themselves to see what it would be like to live off of public assistance. Some people were upset that they would have to give up their kosher meat for a week before it is so expensive. So many of us live a life of privilege and it’s crazy how easy we take it for granted. While I do feel bad for Emily who posted above about having to live with SNAP, she says herself how she is lucky to have student loans and family to fall back on. Many people don’t even have this and are trying to put food on the table with multiple minimum wage jobs…which take time. And it takes time and planning to eat on a budget which is a luxury many people don’t have. And education to make proper choices.
At the grocery store one day, I saw a woman carrying a baby buying food and formula with WIC coupons (if “coupon” is the right word)…she had what I thought was very healthy food (fruit, veggies, beans, etc) and I thought that was great. You can buy so much bad food with food stamps because it’s easier. I’m glad I’m lucky enough to not have to do this.
I don’t remember where I was going with this…I don’t think it would be hard to live off of $35 for a week if that’s all you have to do. If you’re a blogger and that’s your life. But it’s not realistic and I don’t think it does much to help people who are living this every day.
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totally and completely agree with you! Without creating enemies of FFAs, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
Absolutely. Great post.
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