@January Cyst and
@reinhold have covered this pretty well already, but I'd like to add a few more things to the shitpile as well.
First, to
@MrHoneyBadger's comment, there are cases where garbage is cheaper. Ingredients like corn syrup are subsidized in this country, so while "name brand" candy and snacks are the price you might expect for such a thing (though also far cheaper than it would be in other countries in my experience) it's also very easy to find things like a 2lb bag of chocolate for $1.
Put another way, candy/snacks/treats in places like the EU seems to be priced like a treat. Here it's priced like food.
Another factor is that poverty is directly correlated with weight in this country. So much so you can usually tell the income level of children in public schools because of it. You'd think the poor might be thinner, but what happens here is that the government throws cheap calories at them to prevent starvation. I can provide specific examples if anyone is curious.
The most disgusting roommate I ever had was an overweight woman. There's something wrong with some of them mentally that affects their ability to take care of themselves.