How Can We Help People In The Food Desert?

Do food deserts exist?

However, recent research questions the concept of food deserts.

For more than two decades, much evidence has supported their existence, but current studies suggest people in low-income areas actually live in food swamps, where they’re inundated with a wide variety of both healthful and unhealthful foods..

Are food deserts increasing?

The overall increase in low-income areas in the United States of America – the cause of the net increase in low-income food deserts – raises concerns about the growing number of struggling households with limited access to affordable nutritious foods, and the ways in which disparities may expand in part as a result.

Where is a food desert?

The bleakest food deserts are the actual deserts of the American West, in Nevada and Wyoming. City dwellers, particularly those in the biggest, most dense cities tend to live closest to supermarkets and have the best food access.

Why is Chicago a food desert?


How do you fight a food desert?

Just Deserts: 6 Ways to Bring Good Food to Poor Neighborhoods How to End Food Deserts and Bring Healthy Food to Poor NeighborhoodsGrocery Incubators. … Healthy Corner Stores. … Food Education. … Farm-to-School Programs. … Farmers’ Market Coupon Programs. … Urban Farms and Food Pantries.

Do food deserts cause obesity?

No, food deserts don’t cause obesity. … Scientists looked closely at the relationship grocery access has to obesity, and tracked changes to obesity and other health outcomes in low-access neighborhoods that got a new supermarket.

What is the cause of food deserts?

Rural food deserts are mostly the result of large supermarket stores that move into areas and create competition that is impossible for small businesses to keep up with. The competition causes many small grocers to go out of business.

What does it mean to live in a food desert?

“Food deserts” are geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options (aka fresh fruits and veggies) is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. Run a food drive (outside your local grocery store!) to support a food bank. … About 23.5 million people live in food deserts.

What is considered a food desert?


What is the problem with food deserts?

Summary. Food deserts are areas where people are unable to gain access to healthful foods. They are a major issue affecting millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts suggest that living in a food desert may put people at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other weight-related conditions.

How do you survive in a food desert?

Living in a ‘food desert’: Tips to help maintain a healthy…Find a good grocery store or supermarket to go to occasionally and stock up on dried and frozen produce that can last several months. … Plan these grocery trips in advance, arrange transportation, and bring someone to help load and unload.Before you go, make sure you have storage space for the extra groceries.More items…•

How are people affected by food deserts?

Food deserts are indicators of more than just socioeconomic injustice; they indicate public health and safety concerns for those living within their borders. Residents with a chronic lack of access to adequate food resources are shown to have higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Corapi).