Is Costco the problem or a symptom?

After watching family members struggle with weight for decades, I’m convinced Costco is responsible for a significant portion of America’s health problems.

Costco causes real challenges for people who are both frugal and have challenges controlling overeating. They feel like they’re being responsible…even intelligent…by buying food at Costco because they’re getting a “good deal.” And on a pure price-per-taste-adjusted calorie basis, they are!

But then they struggle with the willpower required not to eat the entire 2 kg key lime pie in 2 days that they just bought for $17.99. They feel like they need to eat the entire pie because throwing it out would be “wasteful.” Perhaps maximizing yummy calories per dollar spent is not the best receipe for good health and a healthy weight.

It’s better off not putting oneself in the situation of needing to use willpower to resist snacking on a 5 pound bag of chocolate covered pretzels or microwaving something from a case of 24 frozen “gourmet” Costco frozen hamburgers for a midnight snack.

Those people would be much better off buying just what they need for the next meal or two at the local fresh meats & vegetables market or supermarket that’s a 5-minute walk from home instead of stocking their homes with 2 weeks of bulk, tasty temptations.

This is an ask that, of course, is structurally impossible to grant in almost all of the USA. This is because very few people live within walking distance of anything, let alone a daily farmer's market. The time cost of going to the market every day or two like happens in Hong Kong and other areas of China would be way too much for Americans suburbanites already burdened with long commutes. Their only other options are expensive grocery delivery or weekly trips to the nearest grocery store to stock on smaller and more expensive versions of the same food items sold at Costco. Given those options, Costco doesn't sound so bad.