Food Deserts: A Case Study

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Living right outside of Camden in Cherry Hill most people have cars and have very quick and easy access to so many choices for food shopping from ShopRite to Wegmans, and the newest addition of whole foods. It is hard to believe but a dark reality is that five minutes away someone who does not have a car cannot walk or to a supermarket to pick up dinner tonight. So many neighbors and local people complain for years how it was unfair to have to wait so long for Whole Foods store to finally open in the Ellisburg shopping center. Complaining about having to drive all the way to Marlton was “too much.” In an extreme opposite a friend who lives in Georgia has a forty-five drive to the closest supermarket and has to do two weeks worth of shopping while she is there or there will be no dinner. For some the thought of having to go food shopping is a nightmare they cannot walk to their supermarket for some they would have to …show more content…
Unfortunately Camden is known for its high levels of poverty and unemployment but to add to this problem it is designated as what we call a food Desert. "In urban areas the US Department of agriculture considers a food Desert an area with no ready access to a store with fresh and nutritious food options within one mile." For some of us Camden is right down the street. It has been a Desert from many years. Pathmark was the one and only supermarket that providing healthier versions of fresh food. No access to produce has created a huge wall stopping people in their town from eating healthy. This problem leads into the obesity epidemic and the negative spending on bad foods at gas stations and small corner shops, basically living and eating off of shelf foods. Packaged and fast foods are everywhere but riddled with high fat, sugars, and sodium. These high calorie options are extremely low in