Food Deserts Research Paper

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Thesis: Even though Government has created food plans that show eating healthy can be done on a limited budget, low income families cannot eat healthy because money, time, inadequate kitchen facilities, knowledge of how to prepare healthy diets, and living in "Food Deserts", are all affecting the outcome. According to an article on the US National Library of Medicine Website titled, "Can Low-Income Americans Afford a Healthy Diet?", it is a proven fact that the lower the income of the household, the more likely they are to have a diet that contains fewer high-quality proteins, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit. This is a fact that is hard to dispute. Even though many nutritionists insist that, everyone has equal access to healthy …show more content…
population, live in tracts that are low-income and low access and are more than ½ mile or 10 miles from the nearest supermarket." It is a proven fact that in addition to there being fewer places to purchase healthy food, having access to these locations adds yet another monetary piece to the puzzle. Many low-income families do not have access to transportation. Even if they have transportation, they may not have the funds to purchase the gasoline to make the trips to the grocery store. They are limited to purchasing food at convenient marts, bodega's or grocery stores that have limited options for value or choices. On its website, the CDC defines "Food Deserts as "areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet." In 2008, according to the New York Times, "the Morrisania section of the Bronx was what is commonly called a food desert: The low-income neighborhood in New York’s least-healthy county had no nearby grocery store, and few places where its residents could easily buy fresh food." This section of the Bronx became the target of a city tax incentive program, and in 2011 a 17,00 square-foot supermarket was opened. The neighborhood welcomed the market, and people finally had access to healthier food. Unfortunately, the diets of the residents did not improve. What this tells us is that creating access to healthier foods is not the only piece to the
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