Food deserts, vast expanses of urban and rural areas that are void of fresh fruit and veggies, are a growing epidemic — affecting more than 23.5 million people nationwide. Disproportionately affecting occupants of poor, low-income neighborhoods, food deserts are the result of a lack of access to healthy food.
Food deserts, vast expanses of urban and rural areas that are void of fresh fruit and veggies, are a growing epidemic — affecting more than 23.5 million people nationwide. Disproportionately affecting occupants of poor, low-income neighborhoods, food deserts are the result of a lack of access to healthy food.
While food deserts are often short on grocery stores and farmers’ markets, local quickie marts and fast-food chains run rampant. These outlets offer an abundance of processed, sugar- and fat-laden foods that are known contributors to our nation’s obesity epidemic and a leading cause of a host of other illnesses.
The lack of access to fresh, healthy and nutritious food fuels hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, negatively impacting 1 in 7 homes across the country. The working poor who struggle to afford good food and lack transportation to get it are often trapped in neighborhoods that restrict their options further.
And, while hunger has no boundaries, it does impact some communities more than others. African Americans are more likely to suffer from poverty, food insecurity and unemployment than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts. Children are also among those who are most negatively impacted by food insecurity and malnutrition. There are over 15 million hungry children in the United States alone.
Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Triple Pundit.
Convenience store image via Shutterstock.
