Food Deserts in America

Learn more and educate others about food deserts

[alexrader7-blog]

How to End Food Deserts

Ending food deserts will be a very daunting task because of the thousands of food deserts and the millions of people living in them. 46.5 million people are receiving food assistance through programs each year in the United States. 23.5 million of these people are living in areas without super markets or places that sell fresh fruit or vegetables. Unfortunately eliminating food deserts isn’t as easy as building a super market in the impoverished area. Problems such as high underemployment, lower household assets, and demographic characteristics all lead to food deserts. These must be improved in order to eliminate food deserts. Michelle Obama had goal to eliminate food deserts in America in 7 years, but it has already been 4 years and there has not been much progress. Many corporations like Wal-Mart, pledged to help Michelle reduce childhood obesity, by eliminating food deserts. Their goal was to build about 300 stores in food deserts. She also backed a $200 million program modeled after a successful program in Pennsylvania. This program would boost local businesses in hope to decrease the unemployment rate and bring more money into the community. This expensive programs success in boosting the areas economy is still yet to be seen, but people are hopeful. Unfortunately many Wal-Mart stores are closing because their profits were low for many quarters. Wal-Mart is still committed on ending food deserts, but adding stores is clearly not the answer. They are now making generous donations to local food banks, and increasing budgets for stores that surround food deserts.

Many people and organizations have tried to end food deserts, and some of them have proven to be successful. This first innovative solution is food Co-ops. Big grocery chains such as Wal-Mart clearly were not successful in their attempts, but local food co-ops have proven to work. It is not an easy task to start and run a co-op, but it can be done. Worker owned cooperatives could grow the local economy, empower people and provide jobs. Another option to help end food deserts is mobile food markets. These markets provide fresh, culturally appropriate, high quality and affordable foods. Those in the community can choose to work for these markets as well. Mobile food markets typically partner with businesses, nonprofits, growers, and community groups. Communities in need have also created bus stop farmers markets. This offers an easy way for people to access healthy and fresh foods. They no longer have to journey a far distance to purchase fresh food. In Los Angeles, they created a Kitchen that recovers healthy local food from the waste stream and gives it back to those who are hungry or unemployed. They employ adults, typically adults exiting prisons or foster kids and give them culinary training. The meals provided by this kitchen are distributed to the areas most vulnerable and to the elderly population.  

Government run policies and big corporations will not decrease the amount food deserts. But it has shown that privately owned businesses, compassionate, generous and hardworking people, and a collective effort from the community will help end food deserts. Next Americans need to be put back to work, get off welfare systems or food assistance programs and give back to their community. The economy will grow and in turn grocery stores will enter the area.

A. (2016, January 27). ​Walmart shutdowns create new food deserts. Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-shutdowns-create-new-food-deserts/

Corapi, S. (n.d.). Why it takes more than a grocery store to eliminate a 'food desert' Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/takes-grocery-store-eliminate-food-desert/

Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/hunger-and-poverty/hunger-and-poverty-fact-sheet.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwtu3GBRDY6ZLY1erL44EBEiQAAKIcvuJ6r8zQ5wkyVzOFgoUd_mC_U13f9zQz0f1UXunpEL8aAnR88P8HAQ

5 Innovative Solutions to Food Deserts. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.shareable.net/blog/5-innovative-solutions-to-food-deserts

[courtneydowling-blog1]

The Cost of Eating Healthy

           Eating healthier requires a lot of work.  Not only do you have to mentally focus on the goal of staying healthy when you pass the bakery in the grocery store, but you also have to prepare for an extra financial burden as well.  Eating a healthier diet vs. a non-healthy diet can cost an average of $1.50 more a day.  This many seem insignificant, but after a year of eating healthy (for a family of four), this can add up to $2,000 more a year spent on food (Rehel).  With healthier diets consisting of more fruits, veggies, and nuts, the cost for a family of four to eat a nutritious meal goes up significantly. On the contrary, research has shown that snack foods and sweets are slightly more expensive than a healthier option.  Chips and ice cream can end up costing more than a banana or a bag of granola (McNight). In many cases, I have found that eating healthier can actually cost less than cheap junk food.  The issue many run in to is the convenience of healthy food vs. junk food.  You cannot always run to the grocery store and pay for a readily made, nutritious meal for the family.  You can, however, run through a drive through and get an entire meal for your family of four in a matter of minutes, with sides and a drink!  The photographs below illustrate the truth to many junk food myths.

Only when comparing healthy food to unhealthy food at a fast food restaurant is when you can run into price issues.

Everything has a price, but where we choose to shop or eat can greatly influence the price differences we see.  Americans need to be more aware of what choices they present themselves with if they really want to make a difference in the amount of obesity in society today.  Although a nutritious and healthy diet may end up costing more, being aware of the options out there can make a big impact on how much more we truly need to pay to eat healthy.   

Resources:

McNight, C. (2015, April 18). Advantages & Disadvantages of Healthy Food Vs. Junk Food. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/410164-advantages-disadvantages-of-healthy-food-vs-junk-food/

Rehel, J. (n.d.). A healthy diet costs $2,000 a year more than an unhealthy one for average family of four: Harvard study. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://news.nationalpost.com/health/a-healthy-diet-costs-2000-a-year-more-than-an-unhealthy-one-for-average-family-of-four-harvard-study?__lsa=bb1a-8beb

[thewaronfood2017-deactivated201]

Another way to view cost is in long term health expenses. Even if “healthy” foods are slightly more expensive that convenience foods I would bet that the positive health effects would end up saving more that individuals would by purchasing convenience foods. I have also struggled with the idea that eating health automatically means food is more expensive. It can definitely add  up if you are consuming a lot of nuts and other high value products but those items aren’t essential in an overall healthy diets. Additionally, those items are usually more calorically and nutritionally dense so you wouldn’t need to eat as many as you might think. 

[alexrader7-blog]

I really like this post. I’m glad that you found evidence and research that has stated that sweet and less nutritious foods are actually more expensive. I have found this to be true as well when I go grocery shopping. Typically when I buy less nutritious foods, its more expensive AND I tend to eat more of it. This causes me to have to buy the item more often, which leads to spending more money. It was interesting how you compared the fast food restaurant prices to this evidence as well. 

[hellomarieke-blog]

Linking Diet and Gut Health

In the previous post, I discussed the importance of a person’s microbiota on their health, but what can we do to keep it healthy? There are many types of foods that improve your gut health, the main idea to keep in mind is to maintain a diet the is fresh and full of greens and whole grains. This leads to an optimal environment for the microbiota that benefit your body while also suppressing the harmful bacteria.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are some of the best foods you can eat to support your microbiota. These are high in fiber which support the actinobacteria in our guts, which is a beneficial type of bacteria that can grow in our guts. Garlic and leeks are extremely high in this bacteria. Fiber also benefits the prevotella bacteria that I mentioned in the previous post, that aid in reducing inflammation.

Carbohydrates are also important for your microbiota to survive. They are the primary source for energy which shows just how important a balanced diet is. Certain diets that completely cut out carbohydrates (Ketogenic, paleo, juicing, high protein/low carb, etc.) are very dangerous to the gut and can starve our good bacteria.

One surprising food type that’s beneficial to our gut are fermented foods. Foods that are naturally fermented like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi, all help introduce new beneficial bacteria to our gut, primarily the Lactobacillus bacteria. However, avoid pasteurized foods because the pasteurizations process, although allows foods to last longer, kills the good bacteria.

Most of these are examples of prebiotics which are specifically non-digestible foods that promote beneficial bacteria growth. These include the garlic and leeks as well as asparagus, artichokes, onions, almonds, wheat flour, bananas, etc. However, probiotics are just as important to add into our diets. They aid in recolonizing lost bacteria as well as balancing out our current bacteria systems. These are especially good to add into the diet after taking antibiotics, which kill much of our good gut bacteria. Probiotics can be gotten through supplements and also foods, which include yogurt, fermented foods as listed above, cheese, sour cream, and kefir.

One last tip for keeping a healthy gut is to focus on eating fresh foods. Many processed foods don’t contain the healthy nutrients that our gut bacteria need. Sugars and unhealthy fats also promote inflammatory microbiota and cause dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) in our microbiome.

 Citations:

Foroutan, R. (2015). Microbiome: The Garden Within. Food and Nutrition.

Selhub EM, Logan AC, Bested AC. Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry. Journal of Physiological Anthropology. 2014;33(1):2. doi:10.1186/1880-6805-33-2.

Conlon MA, Bird AR. The Impact of Diet and Lifestyle on Gut Microbiota and Human Health. Nutrients. 2015;7(1):17-44. doi:10.3390/nu7010017.

[alexrader7-blog]

This subject has always been very interesting to me. I am glad you mentioned prebiotics, and a few foods that contain these microbiota. It seems like most people only know or have heard of probiotics. It would be interesting to learn more about inflammatory microbiota. How do sugars and unhealthy fats promote inflammation? And how do prevotella bacteria reduce inflammation? 

[alexrader7-blog]

Why do Food Deserts Occur?

Food deserts defined by Boyle and Holben (2013), are low-income communities without ready access to healthy and affordable foods. To qualify as a low-income community it must have a poverty rate of 20 percent or greater. A community can also qualify as a low-access community, which means 500 of its residents or 33 percent of the population lives one mile away from a supermarket. If it is a rural community, then 33 percent of the population must live 10 miles away from a supermarket or grocery store. Low-income and low-access communities unfortunately tend to create food deserts.

           Food deserts can also occur because of the districts climate and geography. Geography and climate plays a crucial role in many aspects of the community. Such as, farmers markets, length of food growing season, location and types of grocery stores, convenience stores, and types of food storage systems needed to keep foods fresh. Access to transformation also plays a role. Food deserts can occur because people do not have ready access to a personal car, commuter train, or bus.  Without transportation they may not be able to go to stores that sell fresh produce. In cities, public transportation is common, but unfortunately economic forces have driven out grocery stores, which has made them few are far between in cities. Those who live in urban areas may have to take several buses or trains just to reach a grocery store. In rural areas public transportation is very limited and sometimes unavailable. With this, many people cannot reach grocery stores because they are often many miles away from people’s homes.

           Another issue that may cause food deserts is the expense of healthier foods. Fresh produce is generally more expensive than unhealthier foods, especially in food deserts. In a low-income community, a family or individual may not be able to afford the more expensive food item. If these more expensive foods are not bought, such as the fresh produce, then the stores will stop carrying the vegetables and fruit. It is simple supply and demand. Business will sell what the community wants and can afford.

           Food deserts are often found in communities of color. The grocery stores in African-American communities tend to be small and have less selection. People might find it difficult to locate foods that are culturally appropriate for them because of the small selection. This small selection of food may also be harmful to those who have dietary restrictions such as gluten allergies or lactose intolerance. Studies have also found that those who live in urban areas and shop at smaller stores, pay 3 to 37 percent more than those who are buying the same products at supermarkets.

References:

Food Deserts. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2017, from http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/

Boyle, M. A. (2017). Community nutrition in action: an entrepreneurial approach. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

[msukourtneyk-blog]

Yearly Costs of Drinking Pop Regularly

Who doesn’t love a nice, cold, bubbly pop?! Not only is it delicious and refreshing, but it is also an addictive and expensive habit if you drink pop regularly. I am going to base this blog post on people who drink pop “regularly”, which in this case is one twelve ounce can of pop daily. It is easy to double, triple, or quadruple the totals (which will be discussed) for people who drink more than one can of pop a day. Obviously buying bottled pop or pop at a restaurant costs much more than a can of pop. The average cost of a pop at a restaurant is $2. If a person eats out once a week and orders pop, they are spending over $100 a year just on soda at restaurants. If a family or household of four eats out once a week and they all order pop, they are spending well over $400 a year on pop when they eat out. One 24 pack of pop is an average of $7. If a person is drinking one can of pop a day, they are spending over $100 a year on cans of pop. Combine drinking a can of pop a day and having pop once a week at a restaurant, and a person could save over $200 a year on cutting out pop! If it is a couple who shares the same pop drinking habit, that is $400 a month. If it is a family of four that shares the same pop drinking habit, that is $800 a month. The average American actually drinks 11 cans of pop a week! That is $572 a year for one person, $1,144 for a couple, and $2,288 a year for a family or household of four (assuming each person drinking 11 cans of pop a week). This seems like a lot of pop right? Think of it this way, it is one and a half cans of pop a day. There are so many people who drink that much pop and more each day! Drinking one or two cans of pop a day may seem reasonable, but it is expensive! Looking at the overall picture and yearly costs of being a regular pop drinker, it may change your perspective! Think of the weekend getaways, the clothes and shoes, the hunting gear…(or whatever you are into)…that you could spend that money on instead! 

[alexrader7-blog]

It’s incredible how much people spend on pop a year, and how much they consume! From research I have done in the past. I found that an average american consumes 131 pounds of sugar every year! Were only supposed to consume 15 pounds a year. Researchers say a lot of this excess sugar is from pop, which is not hard to believe. Not only do people like pop because its refreshing and yummy, but they also get addicted to the caffeine. I knew of someone who had to have at least three cans of soda each day in order to not get a headache from caffeine withdrawal. I hope awareness is spread about how detrimental pop can be to your health and wallet! 

#NUTR351

[glutenwiznutritionsocietyms-blog]

Gluten: A Hidden Social Tragedy

Please watch the Youtube hit titled “How to Become Gluten Intolerant” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oht9AEq1798 (here’s the link).  

JP Sears pokes fun at how not eating gluten is the new fad and indirectly ‘not’ eating gluten is a way for one to patronize and ridicule others. As funny as this video is and perhaps this could apply to some people, this video is a perfect example of how celiac and gluten intolerance is stigmatized by culture.  “What’s the big deal?  You can’t have one piece of bread, you have got to be kidding me.” OR “You know, 100 years ago you would have starved.  More than half the food was wheat.” Being gluten intolerant myself, I hear many comments such as these.  And yes, being gluten intolerant or having celiac disease is a real and serious health issue.  There is present research illustrating that having a gluten allergy provokes several psychological issues such as depression and social anxiety that are directly correlated with negative stigmatization.

 When one is stigmatized, scientists believe this is because an individual possesses a quality that is strange in that the typical population sees as unfavorable and strange.  As people have begun to accumulate allergies to gluten, people who are considered “normal” tend to frown upon this character tic as something that is negative.  This becomes extremely prevalent when it comes to eating in a social setting. Those who have a gluten allergy have to avoid a large variety of food.  They can’t have pasta, bread, most baked goods, and one would be surprised what sauces and additives contain gluten.  Then, the  people sitting around them typically do not have this issue.  People with a gluten allergy feel they are inadequate which can lead to them down a dark path of internalizing the stigma (Schroeder, 2013). Feeling different is only one thing but how about gluten free options?  Several restaurants do not even have gluten free options, and if they do they are limited and provided on a tiny separate menu (Cecilia Olsson, 2009) .  

It’s interesting to note as well that celiac and gluten intolerance is not well understood by the public (Schroeder, 2013).  With this, those with celiac disease have difficulty with a variety of different scenarios regarding their diet.  One study evaluates approximately 5 thousand adults on a gluten free diet.  Some reoccurring issues included determining if food they were planning to eat was gluten free, having to avoid restaurants completely, and also avoiding traveling due to lack of finding food that was gluten free (M. Zarkadas, 2006).    

 Gluten allergies can present challenges to college students’ mental health and impact their social activities.  One article illustrates a college girl who explains how her friends express lack of empathy for her celiac condition.  Often, her friends exclude her from social activities, especially when it comes to eating out at restaurants.  Then, if she is invited by her friends she must bring her own food which makes her feel more socially isolated.  In addition, the girl describes the anxiety she feels when someone else offers to prepare her food.  She doesn’t know if they will prepare it correctly or even how much their kitchen is contaminated with gluten.  Additionally, the same article emphasizes how eating on campus can be a reoccurring struggle students with gluten allergies.  Several of the candidates showed concerned regarding food services preparing their meals and a majority of them admitted that following a gluten free diet had a major influence on their social lives (Students with Celiac Disease Face Social Stigma, Limited Options on College Campuses, 2016).      

 There are several challenges to those who have gluten allergies, especially when it comes to social stigmatization.  It is critical for us as a society to understand the underlying struggles with following a gluten free diet in order to overcome negative stigmatization and work to find helpful resources for those with gluten allergies..  

Works Cited

Cecilia Olsson, P. L. (2009). Food That Makes You Different: The Stigma Experienced by Adolescents With Celiac Disease. Qualitative Health Research, 19(7), 976-984.

M. Zarkadas, A. C. (2006). The impact of a gluten-free diet on adults with coeliac disease: Results of a national survey. Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 19(1), 41-49.

Schroeder, R. D. (2013, August). “You Can’t Eat WHAT?” Managing the Stigma of Celiac Disease. Deviant Behavior, 35(6), 456-474.

Students with Celiac Disease Face Social Stigma, Limited Options on College Campuses. (2016, August). Retrieved February 2017, from New England Celiac Organization: https://www.neceliac.org/blog/students-with-celiac-disease-face-social-stigma-limited-options-on-college-campuses/

[angelamsu-blog]

The JP Sears video is funny because his mannerisms are grossly exaggerated.  As you said, it does make a point and perhaps some of it does ring true.  However, for those that truly have an insensitivity/allergy, normalizing a stigma whittles away at what is truly a major health concern.  This is somewhat similar to criticisms of peanut allergies.  I have heard with my own two ears: “Today’s kids are just weak!” only to have a parent (or grandparent) counter that their child/grandchild could die if exposed.  That is not weakness.  As many parents and adults with severe food allergies can attest, this is a matter of life-and-death.  Dismissing somebody’s genuine health issue as a sign of weakness implies that it is mind over matter for them to get “better.”  

The “100 years ago” argument is fallacious.  One hundred years ago, many common ailments had the potential to be fatal.  For example, childbirth, cancer, and heart attacks were significant threats to longevity.  The mentally ill were institutionalized.  The realities of atomic and nuclear testing were still 30 years in the future.  Thus, measuring the health concerns of today to yesteryear and whether they existed a century ago is an unfair comparison.  After all, it is the “practice of medicine” because it is not an exact science.  

P.S. This woman needs better friends.  With friends like that, who needs enemies?  

[alexrader7-blog]

I really enjoyed this post, because I do not know much about Gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. I only know of a few people with this issue. Thank you for making me aware of the social problems these people face on a daily basis. I am guilty of stigmatizing those with gluten intolerance, because I have met some individuals who pretend to have gluten intolerance just to receive more attention. I am curious to know what percent of the population has gluten intolerance or celiac disease. And what is the cause of this disease? 

[alexrader7-blog]

What are Food Deserts?

Just a few weeks ago, I was made aware of the existence of food deserts.  Food deserts defined by the food empowerment project are “Geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient travelling distance”. Many of those residing in food deserts also do not own a car, so getting to grocery stores with fresh produce, is not an option. Little did I know, food deserts occur all over the country, especially in Montana. Approximately 23.5 million people in the United States live in food deserts and nearly half of them are also low-income. Low-income is defined as 40% or more of the community or family has an annual income equal to or less than twice the federal poverty threshold. In Montana nearly 72,000 individuals live in areas were they have limited access to a grocery store or supermarket, making access to fresh, affordable food a daily challenge. Montana has many rural areas, that grow an abundance of food, yet they lack easy access to affordable and a variety of healthy food. Across the northwest region, nearly 40 percent of people living in food deserts with low access to large groceries lived in rural areas.

 Unfortunately, not only do food deserts have very little fresh vegetables and fruit, but also they contain an overabundance of fast food chains. These chains typically sell cheap meat, high fat dairy products, and their food contains high amounts of sugar and salt. Convenience stores, corner delis, and liquor stores located in food deserts sell a high amount of processed foods such as, chips, soda, cakes, alcohol and candy.

These items are popular due to the fact that they taste good, and are much cheaper than healthier products. A study by Walsh (2008), uncovered that the overall price of fruits and vegetables in the US increased by nearly 75% between 1989 and 2005, while the price of fatty foods dropped by more than 26% during the same period. The inflation of fruits and vegetables prices has burdened low-income families. If families cannot afford the expensive fruits and vegetables from stores, then these stores will stop providing them. Families will turn to inexpensive foods because they are cheaper, but there are long term consequences of eating cheaper, processed foods.

Low-income populations, especially those in food deserts suffer from statistically higher rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type two diabetes (Gallagher, 2006). One study of Chicago neighborhoods found the death rate from diabetes in food deserts to be twice that of areas offering access to grocery stores. Those who are living in food deserts are not receiving proper nutrition in their diet, and in turn they are poor in health. Awareness about food deserts must be spread, in hopes to reverse the growth of food deserts around the country.

References:  

 http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-food-deserts

http://mfbn.org/learn/hunger-in-montana

Walsh, Bryan. “It’s Not Just Genetics.” Time. June 12, 2008.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813984,00.html

Gallagher, Mari. “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago.” Study commissioned by LaSalle Bank. 2003 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/05/exploring-the-usdas-food-desert-locator.html 

http://www.sightline.org/2011/06/02/northwest-food-deserts/