But here's the chicken or egg argument. Are they getting the good jobs because they demonstrate responsible habits (including health) as you suggest, or are they in better health because they have higher paying jobs?

I'm inclined to side with the latter. The fact is, it's expensive to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Compare the cost of fresh meat and produce with pre-packaged junk at a supermarket and the difference is incredible. If you're the mother of a low income family, are you going to spend you're fixed income on fresh vegetable and meat, or load up on Kraft Dinner and Spam? Buy milk, or for less than half the price, soda? Low income families also tend to be less educated and are more suspectible to the marketing hype of the giant food companies.

I'm a strong believer of individuals taking accountability for their own action, but for many of these folks, the odds are stacked against them from the start.