What Is Food Desert?

The Benefits of Physical Activity in Food Desert

A person who is working two part-time jobs and is struggling to pay bills may want to purchase healthy and nutrition-rich food. Fresh fruits and vegetables for sale at a grocery store may be more expensive than what a person can afford, because the store is miles away. They may turn to cheaper but unhealthier fast food options that are not as healthy.

In Ohio, there are clusters of what can be considered food deserts around major cities such as Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, as well as in smaller cities and communities across the state. Food deserts may still exist even with the abundance of stores and services in major cities because customers don't have enough money to purchase healthy food. In an urban environment, there may be fewer options for people to purchase healthy and nutrition-rich food.

It may be difficult for people living in food deserts to avoid eating bad food. There are still ways to stay healthy. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that physical activity can help people control their weight, reduce fat, and relieve stress.

Living in a food desert can increase the risk of health issues such as diabetes, so exercising can help there as well. The benefits of healthy eating and how to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients use their funds are both explained in the SNAP-Ed. The State SNAP-Ed Programs page has locations for state programs.

There are no easy solutions to the problem of food deserts in the United States. It is difficult for communities and cities to find ways to help people purchase healthy foods. There are still effective methods that can help people living in food deserts eat better.

Climate Change and Self-Care in Urban Food Deserts

Whole Foods Market opened a store in the New Center area of Detroit, where one-third of the population lives below the poverty line. Whole Foods sells more expensive organic and healthy foods. If Whole Foods hadn't lowered the prices, residents would not be willing to shop there and the area of Detroit would still be considered a food desert.

Climate change is a factor in the accessibility of urban food deserts. Climate change reduces the production of food and makes it harder for people to afford it. Climate change can affect the production of food, but it can also damage capital assets that affect accessibility and utilization.

Self-care is an important part of the management of chronic conditions. The ability to engage in healthy practices can be impacted by limited access to healthy foods in food deserts. Living in a food desert is one of the social determinants of health.

The Food Desert

Low-income individuals are priced out of high-quality health foods because of their socio economic status. $50 worth of boxed meals and frozen dinners can often last a family longer than $50 worth of fresh vegetables and lean meats. It can be difficult to pin down what constitutes a food desert.

The USDA looked at a few parameters to determine if an area had limited access to healthy food. The South and Midwest have more people who are not able to get a good meal than other parts of the country, with Louisianand Mississippi having higher percentages of people who are not able to get a good meal. Lower-income families put a larger percentage of their paychecks toward grocery shopping, but living in a food desert means that paycheck won't stretch as far as it would in areas where fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are more accessible.

Living in a food desert is not the same as being food-insecure. Not everyone in a food desert has access to healthy foods. Those with the means and opportunity to do so can still make the trip to a big store or have groceries delivered.

A person can get access to things like whole grains and fresh produce if they live in a food desert. High prices make it difficult for some to afford such foods. Food deserts are more common than other areas of food insufficiency, but it isn't limited to them.

A child's ability to grow can be affected by eating habits in the first few years of life. The brains and bodies need key ingredients to develop quickly. Recent research shows that the relationship between a community's lack of supermarkets and health issues like obesity is more complicated than previously thought.

The Impact of Food Deserts on the U.S

Food deserts areas without access to high-quality, affordable food. The USDA defines them as areas with a 20% or greater poverty rate and where a third or more of the residents live more than a mile away from a supermarket. The price of processed foods and industrial meat has gone down over the last four decades, while the price of fruits and vegetables has increased.

Black farmers have been discriminated against by the USDA and have lost their land. Low-income communities have been kept from becoming prosperous by tax bases that are dependent on zip codes, with poor schools and health care programs, and higher levels of violence and pollution. People who make a living in lower-income communities often have to use up their extra money to help family members who are less well off.

They are more likely to use their assets to care for their elders and others in need, and then die poor, instead of accumulating assets and passing them on to their children. The implications for food systems change are considerable because of the amount of food that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients spend. The cheap calories provided by sugar-laden drinks are what most peopleSpend 10% of their food dollars on.

Low-income families can be helped by programs like Wholesome Wave. The US Farm Bill is earmarked for expanding affordable access to fruits and vegetables for low-income Americans. You can support their work by finding more here.