Lower the Cost of Healthy FoodsINTRODUCTIONIn America today, the economy is rapidly taking a turn for the worse. People are losing jobs, which means unemployment rates are rising. With Americans struggling to stay on their feet financially, they must lower their standards and do what they can to keep a roof over their family's heads and food on the table, no matter the circumstances. Times are tough for many families, and since the costs of healthy, nutritious meals are relatively high, it's much easier to find something cheaper and quicker to consume. One article states that a healthy diet is “also a real barrier for some low-income families, for whom it would translate to about $550 more per year” (1:/mkq4fuv). There are so many problems today with rising obesity rates, food insecurity among college students, and a lack of government support to help reduce the cost of healthy foods that something needs to be done. This country won't get healthier or happier if things don't change soon. DATA SECTION OBESITY RATES ARE INCREASING As we see day by day, obesity is quickly becoming a normal part of society rather than a concern. Children today are becoming sicker and sicker with each passing day. In the lower socioeconomic classes, obesity is quite common because the foods accessible in their price range are far from healthy, for example, fast food, frozen foods, meals high in calories and low in nutrients. Obesity rates in the United States have more than doubled since the late 1970s, and there has been a significant change in the weight of Americans, as shown in FIGURE 1. Because families can only afford high-calorie, low-nutrient foods , they crave more food and sugar since most of the calories they eat are empty. When someone consumes empty calories, they are more likely to indulge in fatty foods because they are not getting the essential vitamins and minerals needed to survive. We see that by indulging in unhealthy foods one could easily become overweight or even obese. FIGURE 1: RISING OBESITY RATES IN AMERICA COLLEGE STUDENT STRUGGLES In today's society, college students face many trials in and out of the classroom. Among these problems is the constant struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In a recent study it was stated that “59% of students at a mid-sized university in Oregon were food insecure at some point in the previous year.