I once read a shocking statistic that children of the poor in London during the Industrial Revolution were 6 inches shorter than children of the rich. What raised the standard of living was bloody, persistent labor revolt. It wasn't pretty and as your comment shows it has been mostly forgotten.
And yet families flocked to work in factories because conditions they left were that much worse. Everything is relative, and they can’t judge their situation from yours - they had to choose based on their situation.
