I understand genetics plays a role in obesity overall. I'm not saying every overweight person got themselves there simply because they couldn't pull their face from the trough. I would never say that, especially given what my role was at my last job. But unless Chemung County is some kind of genetic, perhaps inbred anomaly, that only goes so far.
What I'm referring to is the choice to eat one's self into an astronomical BMI with a bag of Doritos and the third Big Gulp of the day. Then following it up with a cigarette.
There's a socio-economic factor to all this as well. Although how some "can't afford" to buy vegetables but can afford a pack a day smoking habit, well...
As for economy of healthy eating, there are countless food give aways in the area that offer good, nutritional options in large quantities. My buddy volunteers for the Food Bank and says it's amazing what they hand out ( in a good way ). Between that and perhaps stop allowing people to buy high sugar drinks and other junk food with their EBT card, maybe we'd see an improvement.
And we need to take a look at the garbage that's being served in the schools as well.