Food deserts are residential areas with poor access to healthy, affordable food.
But when you live in a food desert, these goals are hard to achieve.
Food deserts are a serious public health concern.
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It also explains what can be done to expand access to healthy foods in areas designated as food deserts.
What Makes an Area a Food Desert?
Food deserts are generally lower-income communities that lack access to nutritious, affordable food.
More often than not, these foods are unhealthy.
Food deserts exist all over the country, but they are more common in the South and Midwest.
By Income and Race
Lower-income areas are hit hardest by food deserts.
Among Black and Hispanic urban dwellers, more than half (53%) live in a food desert.
Other socioeconomic factors affecting people in food deserts include:
Who Is Affected by Food Deserts?
Food insecurity often happens within food deserts, but it can occur outside of them, too.
Driving distances to a big store or having groceries delivered are options if you have the means.
Obesity
Unhealthy eating habits can lead to weight gain andobesity.
The impact of obesity can last for generations.
Kids of parents with obesity are more likely to have obesity themselves.
Nutritional Deficiency
Unhealthy eating habits can have severe, and sometimes lifelong consequences.
Folate is found in fresh fruits, whole grains, and leafy vegetables.
Food deserts can also harm people with dietary restrictions.
What Can Be Done About Food Deserts?
Many communities have already begun taking action to bring produce and other healthy foods to food deserts.
For meaningful change to occur, nutrition education needs to be created with these traditions in mind.
Educators also need to respect deeply rooted cultural norms.
Solutions should also be practical and tailored to the realities of the community.
Resources may therefore need to be redirected to improve transportation.
Every community has its own solutions.
Summary
Food deserts are communities where a large percentage of residents have no access to healthy foods.
Socioeconomic factors play a major role in both the unavailability of healthy foods and residents purchasing habits.
Millions of Americans live in food deserts.
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U.S. Census Bureau.Inequalities persist despite decline in poverty for all major race and Hispanic origin groups.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.Food access research atlas: documentation.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: Economic Research Service.Percent of income spent on food falls as income rises.
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National Bureau of Economic Research.Eliminating ‘food deserts’ won’t cure nutritional inequality.
