Food Deserts

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Food deserts are one of the main causes of obesity in lower income areas, and while initiatives are being created to solve this problem, more than just a few initiatives are needed to change the obesity issue. Over 60 million people are obese in the world today. The socioeconomic statuses of the Americans play a major part in the obesity rates across the country. People with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than people with lower incomes. One in every seven preschool-aged children living in lower income areas are obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). A 2008 study showed that obesity is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native (21.2 percent) and Hispanic Americans (18.5 percent) children, and it is lowest among white (12.6 percent), Asian or Pacific Islander (12.3 percent), and black (11.8 percent) children (Get America Fit). “Food Deserts” as defined by the CDC, are “areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). In simpler terms, a food desert is a community with little to no grocery stores. Many reports show that neighborhoods with less access to neighborhood grocery stores have a higher risk for obesity and unhealthy diets unlike neighborhoods where residents have better access to neighborhood grocery stores. The “USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that are than one mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income individuals in households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. Of the 2.3 million people living in low-income rural areas that ... ... middle of paper ... ... educational session. If education about healthy choices isn’t pushed, the food desert and obesity issue wont be fixed. Works Cited http://www.letsmove.gov/healthy-communities http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/ocs_food.html http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.html http://www.cdc.gov/features/fooddeserts/ http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/why-are-low-income-and-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-to-obesity/ http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html http://www.getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.html http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=2403440211&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1319645467&clientId=21210 Grocery access doesn't improve diets:Study: Fast food is bigger factor in obesity problem Daniela Hernandez. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.:Jul 13, 2011. p. 16

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