Food Deserts

866 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: RElation between Poverty and Obesity

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

Show More
Related

  • Food Desert Rhetorical Analysis

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many in the U.S., today, try to eat well,balanced, meals to order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They do so by purchasing their food at farmers markets or making their own meals, so their food isn’t processed or genetically modified. Even though people are trying to maintain health in order to live long lives, without medical complications, many don’t have the opportunity to pursue life like this. In “Research shows food deserts more abundant in minority neighborhoods,” the author, Kelly Brooks, portrays an anecdote and logical reasoning, from Kelly Bower’s research, to thoroughly describe the food deserts in poor minority neighborhoods and how this issue needs to be repaired.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Food Deserts

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cities are becoming more proactive about dealing with food deserts, mainly by giving tax breaks, as in Baltimore, to grocers that are willing to come to low-income, desertous areas. Pushes from environmental groups are also taking an impact on the cause, as the fight for healthy food has become a hot topic in that arena as well. Communities themselves are also taking a stand against food deserts, by doing their own growing of food and creating urban farms, starting up community markets, and starting programs to bring fresh food to deserts (Block, Chavez, Allen, & Ramirez,

    Read More

  • Article Review: Food Deserts And Childhood Obesity?

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    Walk onto any college campus or any other type of school campus and you will see many students that are either obese or close to being obese. Many cafeterias serve healthy foods and non-healthy foods. Schools came up with the rule that you can’t check out lunch without a fruit or vegetable. The only problem is that most students end up taking them and end up wasting them by throwing them away. Considering I am a college student, I understand the challenge of eating unhealthy when I am trying to eat healthier. Overall, I know that if I don 't start eating healthier soon I could end up gaining a lot of weight and become obese. For this research project, I decided to ask, what can be done about the problem of obesity in our country? This question

    Read More

  • People Who Live in Food Deserts in America

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because the people who live in food deserts do not get proper supplements of fruits and vegetable, much of their diets are consisted of mainly junk food, fast food, and meats. As a result of this, today, more than one third of adults in America are obese. In addition to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease can also be results of a lack of healthy food choices, which result from people buying their food from convenience stores that only sell processed foods and from fast food restaurants. This paper attempts to provide readers with a better understanding of the fact that not only do food deserts exists, they are threatening the lives of Amer...

    Read More

  • Food Deserts: Healthy Living In The Black Community

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Food deserts are places where healthy foods are not produced nor sold. Unfortunately, Chicago is filled with food deserts. Approximately 600,000 people reside in areas that consist of food deserts (Gallagher, 2006). Nearly 200,000 of those people are children. These children do not have the opportunity for healthier options, which shows an increase in obesity rates (News One Staff, 2011). There are 77 Chicago communities and out of that 77, 23 are food deserts (Gallagher, 2006). Chicagoans-particularly the black communities- are forced to live off the accessible food that is near them. The food deserts are in Austin, North Lawndale, Armour Square, Near South Side, Fuller Park, Grand Boulevard, Washington Park, Woodlawn, West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Beverly, Washington Heights, Morgan Park, Roseland, Pullman, South Deering, Riverdale, South Chicago, and West Pullman (Grossinger, 2007). The communities are usually served by junk food- filled corner stores, which do not offer an abundance of healthy foods. The communities are in desperate need of change.

    Read More

  • Low Income Families Living in Food Deserts

    1341 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ploeg, M. ver; Breneman, V.; Farrigan, T.; Hamrick, K.; Hopkins, D.;Kaufman, P.; Lin, B. H.; Nord, M.; Smith, T.; Williams, R.; Kinnison, Access to affordable and nutritious food measuring and understanding food deserts and their consequences : report to Congress ([Rev. Sept. 3, 2009] ed.). (2009). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity in African American Children

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    Childhood obesity has become a huge problem in the United States. Over twenty one percent of African American children are obese, not including the twenty percent who were just overweight. Studies show that the increase in Type II diabetes, which is caused by obesity has increased dramatically in children of African American culture. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) The hospital costs associated with childhood obesity were 127 million dollars from 1997-1999, increasing $92 million from 1979-1981. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) However, long term effects are also a concern for adolescent obesity. Overweight children have a 70 percent chance of being obese or overweight adults, which increases to 80 percen...

    Read More

  • A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active.

    Read More

  • Food Insecurity and the Low Income Family

    1476 Words  | 3 Pages

    Food insecurity is an issue faced by millions of Americans every day, and the biggest group affected by this is working families with children. Food insecurity is so big that the United States government has now recognized it and provided a definition for it. The United States government has defined food insecurity as “a household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA.gov). Food banks and anti-hunger advocates agree that some of the causes of food insecurity are stagnant wages, increase in housing costs, unemployment, and inflation of the cost of food. These factors have caused food banks to see a change in the groups of people needing assistance. Doug O’Brien, director of public policy and research at Chicago-based Second Harvest says “’we’ve seen a real shift in who we serve. A decade ago, it was almost always homeless, single men and chronic substance abusers. Now we have children and working families at soup kitchens’” (Koch). These families that are feeling the effects of food insecurity will not be only ones affected by it, but all of America. Studies have shown that there is a link between food security, performance in the classroom, and obesity. If this issue is not faced head on, America will have a generation of children not fully prepared for the workforce and high health insurance rates due to obesity health issues.

    Read More

  • Child Obesity

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture. Access to affordable and nutritious food. Measuring and understanding food deserts and their consequences: report to Congress. Washington, DC: US Department of Agriculture; 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ap/ap036 .

    Read More

  • Obesity and Poverty

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since 1970, the obesity rates in America have more than doubled. Currently two-thirds of (roughly 150 million) adults in the United States are either overweight, or obese (Food Research and Action Center). According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 whereas obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 30.” There are numerous factors that contribute to obesity such as: biological, behavioral and cultural influences (Food Research and Action Center). While these factors all have a large role in obesity, there is no factor with as great of an influence as poverty.

    Read More

  • Food Deserts And Food Deserts In Rural America

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although there is no universally accepted definition of “food deserts,” one way to approach the concept is to begin with access, or the degree to which individuals live within close proximity to a large supermarket or supercenter. Many perceive such food establishments as offering consumers a wider array of food choices at relatively lower costs.

    Read More

  • Hunger And Hunger Essay

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity cannot be fixed without first fixing hunger and poverty. To be healthy it takes healthy foods (including fruits, vegetables, and low fat products) and burning more calories than digesting. Healthy foods can cost a lot of money and push low-income families to eat unhealthier processed foods. Obesity and hunger are connected it can each be connected to poverty. While obesity seems to be the result of too much food and hunger the lack of food, the common issue of poverty must be addressed in order to ease the obesity crisis in the United States.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Childhood Obesity

    1176 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity is one of the most dangerous health issues not only in the United States, but across the world. In my opinion our government should pay serious attention to how they plan to find solutions to this dilemma. The futures of those children rely on the help that we provide for them. If they aren’t being taken care of how can we expect to save other people with other types of issues? It is easy for others to think obesity can be solved from one to another. However they fail to realize that in order to fix this problem they will have to work on it little by little. In conclusion obesity can be deadly so be aware of the consequences obesity has so that our children can live a healthy and normal life.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Obesity and Overweight

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    Modern poverty is so closely related with obesity for many reasons. First of all, poor people are ignorant and uneducated about their health and nutrition. Obviously, because of that they don’t really know what they are doing or even how they are taking the risk of eating some kinds of food. Poor people go for good tasting food without paying attention to the food’s freshness and safety. Moreover, children grow up without a proper understanding of good nutrition, so it is time to reintroduce nutrition to families and even in schools to kids. Second of all, poor people cannot afford buying healthy food. A person who is poor and hungry is going to buy the cheapest calories that he or she could find. In fact in today’s world, the cheapest calories come from junk food. It is cheaper and ...

    Read More

More about Food Deserts

Open Document