Issues of Food Deserts and Obesity

In America, there is an association between being poor and being overweight. You would think that having a low income would mean less money to buy groceries and would result in becoming underweight. However, with the prevalence of fast food restaurants, people can feed their families entire meals for under 10 dollars. This allows people to feed themselves, but with limited choices of unhealthy foods that are high-calorie, high-sodium, and high-fat.

Since fast food is so cheap, the issue of obesity is quite common in food deserts. Food deserts are areas where residents do not have access to supermarkets or fresh produce within a 10-mile radius (or a 1-mile radius for urban areas). You cannot overlook the connections between food deserts and obesity. The most heavily affected people are low-income families.

Class Divide When it Comes to Access to Food

Providing access to healthy food is the most important concern when it comes to food deserts. People in power need to create cheaper options for families who need them. Allowing the price of unhealthy food to decrease while allowing the price of organic food in increase is further stratifying classes. It is unfair that only the wealthy and social elite can afford to take proper care of their bodies. The poor may want to eat healthy, but they cannot afford to because of their disadvantaged social position.

How Does Obesity Connect to Food Deserts?

Living in a food desert means that the bulk of your grocery shopping occurs at convenience and dollar stores. These places do not have fresh fruits or vegetables. The most nutrition they can get comes from canned food and microwavable meals, which still tend to be high in sodium and not in vitamins and minerals that people (especially children) need.

Without access to produce nearby and no method of getting somewhere that would have a supermarket, it forces a lot of low-income families to rely on what is close to them. This amounts to fast food places and gas stations, which are not acceptable for the bulk of your meals if you want to take care of your body.

What Else Causes Obesity?

Other than eating properly, exercise is another vital ingredient to maintaining your weight. A combination of diet and exercise makes for a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, people living in food deserts are not only disadvantaged when it comes to food, but when it comes to physical activity, as well.

Privileged people who live in good neighborhoods take their amenities for granted. Children go to schools that offer extra-curricular activities, and they have playgrounds that are clean and safe. Low-income families do not have these luxuries. Parents have to worry about their kids being alone on the streets, knowing not to let them out after dark. They don’t have the same facilities that would offer opportunities for activity due to the declining economy and high crime rates in their area.

People living in food deserts are disadvantaged in many ways, which leads to a lesser quality of life compared to their wealthier counterparts. For many, this translates to health issues including becoming dangerously overweight.

What can be Done?

What people need is the assurance that they can buy fresh produce without breaking the bank. There are solutions that individuals and businesses could involve themselves in. These include such raising awareness, donating food, or opening stores in food deserts. To make a serious impact, though, everyone needs to involve themselves toward a solution.

The issue of food deserts is a social one. It isn’t about individual people who need to pull themselves out of their bad situation. There are clear distinctions between what low-income families have access to and what middle- and upper-class families have access to. Everyone should have the same opportunities to take care of their bodies with nutritious food. However this is not the case.

Increasing Access to Healthy Food

Most people can start off by helping on the individual level. The main concern is to offer fresh produce at a price that is affordable and accessible. It would take a lot of time, money, and effort to open a store in one of these areas. However, there may be an easier way to reach customers.

Creating an online store with an inventory of healthy and organic foods may be a step towards improvement. Anyone can order from anywhere and have food arrive at their door.

Lowering online prices is worth the consideration. Especially, when you take into account the amount of people who could use access to better-quality food.

Learn more about selling organic products.