Food deserts are areas of communities where access to healthy and nutritious foods are not readily available. These areas, which can be both rural and urban, have limited availability of supermarkets, grocery stores, and markets that sell fresh produce.
In the United States, more than 23 million people live in food deserts.
Living in a food desert can have serious consequences on an individual’s health. Without access to healthy foods, people may resort to purchasing processed foods or fast food from convenience stores which can lead to higher rates of chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The lack of access to healthy foods also has a financial impact on individuals living in food deserts. Many of these individuals must rely on corner stores for their groceries which often come with a much higher price tag than those found at larger Supermarkets – making it difficult for them to afford the healthier items.
Another issue that arises is the lack of education about nutrition in these areas. Without access to healthy foods or resources that provide nutritional information, it is much harder for people living in food deserts to make informed decisions about what they should be eating.
Conclusion:
Food deserts significantly impede our access to healthy foods by making them less available and more expensive than they would be otherwise. This not only affects our physical health but also our financial wellbeing as well as our overall knowledge about nutrition and how to make healthy choices about what we eat.