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By 1973, "desert" was ascribed to suburban areas lacking amenities important for community development.[8] Cummins and Macintyre report that a resident of public housing in western Scotland supposedly invented the more specific term "food desert" in the early 1990s.[9]The phrase was first officially used in a 1995 document from a policy working group on the Low Income Project Team of the UK's Nutrition Task Force.[9]

Initial research was narrowed to the impact of retail migration from the urban center.[10] More recent studies explored the impact of food deserts in other geographic areas (e.g., rural and frontier) and among specific populations, like minorities and the elderly. They address the relationships between the quality (access and availability) of retail food environments, the price of food, and obesity. The findings support that environmental factors contribute to people's eating behaviors. Research conducted with variations in methods draws a more complete perspective of "multilevel influences of the retail food environment on eating behaviors (and risk of obesity)."[10]

DefinitionsEdit

Researchers employ a variety of methods to assess food deserts including: directories and census data, focus groups, food store assessments, food use inventories, geographic information system (GIS) technology, interviews, questionnaires and surveys measuring consumers' food access perceptions.[11] Differences in the definition of a food desert vary according to the:

type of area, urban or rural[12]

economic barriers and affordability of accessing nutritious foods, including the cost of transportation, price of foods, and incomes of those in the area[11][13][9]

distance to the nearest supermarket or grocery store[14]

amount of supermarkets in the given area[14]

type of foods offered, whether it be fresh or prepared[11][9]

nutritional values of the foods offered[15]

The multitude of definitions which vary by country have fueled controversy over the existence of food deserts.[11]

2016 USDA map. According to the Medley Food Desert Project,[16] nearly 24 million Americans live in food deserts. Food deserts are heavily concentrated in southern states, which correlates with concentration of poverty. The map presents percentages of people without cars living in areas with no supermarket within a mile.

Distance Edit

Distance-based measurements are used to measure food accessibility and identify food deserts.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Servicemeasures distance by dividing the country into multiple 0.5 km square grids. The distance from the geographic center of each grid to the nearest grocery store gauges food accessibility for the people living in that grid.[17][18] Health Canada divides areas into buffer zones with people's homes, schools or workplaces as the center. The Euclidean distanceis the shortest distance between the two points of interest, which is measured for gaining food access data.[19]

Different factors are excluded or included that affect the scale of distance. The USDA maintains an online interactive mapping tool for the U.S., the "Food Access Research Atlas," which applies four different measurement standards to identify areas of low food access based on distance from the nearest supermarket.[20]

The first standard uses the original USDA food desert mapping tool "Food Desert Locator" and defines food deserts as having at least 33% or 500 people of a census tract's population in an urban area living 1 mile (10 miles for rural area) from a large grocery store or supermarket.[17][21]

The second and third standards adjust the scale of distance and factor income to define a food desert. In the U.S., a food desert consists of a low income census tract residing at least 0.5 miles in urban areas (10 miles in rural areas) or 1 mile away in urban areas (20 miles in rural areas) from the large grocery store.[20] The availability of other fresh food sources like community gardens and food banks are not included in mapping and can change the number of communities that should be classified as food deserts.[22] A 2014 geographical survey found that the average distance from a grocery store was 1.76 kilometers (1.09 miles) in Edmonton, but only 1.44 kilometers (0.89 miles) when farmers' markets and community gardens were included, making it 0.11 miles under the latter definition for an urban food desert.[23]

The fourth standard takes vehicular mobility into account. In the U.S., a food desert exists if 100 households or more with no vehicle access live at least 0.5 miles from the nearest large grocery store. For populations with vehicle access, the standard changes to 500 households or more living at least 20 miles away.[20][24] Travel duration and mode may be other important factors.[25] As of 2011, public transport is not included in mapping tools.[22]

Fresh food availability Edit

A food retailer is typically considered to be a healthy food provider if it sells a variety of fresh food, including fruits and vegetables. Types of fresh food retailers include:

supermarkets

local grocery stores

warehouse clubs

community gardens

farmers' markets

Food retailers like fast food restaurants and convenience stores are not typically in this category as they usually offer a limited variety of foods that make up a healthy diet.[17] Frequently too, the produce sold at convenience stores is poor quality.[26] A "healthy" bodega as defined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stocks seven or more varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat milk.[27]

Different countries have different dietary models and views on nutrition. These distinct national nutrition guides add to the controversy surrounding the definition of food deserts. Since a food desert is defined as an area with limited access to nutritious foods, a universal identification of them cannot be created without a global consensus on nutrition.

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Food dessert

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The primary criterion for a food desert is its proximity to a healthy food market. When such a market is in reach for its residents, a food desert ceases to exist. But this does not mean that residents will now eat healthy. A longitudinal study of food deserts in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that supermarket availability is generally unrelated to fruit and vegetable recommendations and over diet quality.[citation needed] The availability of unhealthy foods at supermarkets may impact this relation because they tempt customers to overspend and indulge in luxury, pre-cooked foods. Supermarkets may have such an adverse effect because they put independently owned grocery stores out of business. Independently owned grocery stores have their benefits because they are more responsive to customer needs and provide food that adequately serves community members.[35] Therefore, simply providing healthier food access, according to Janne Boone-Heinonen et al., cannot completely eliminate food deserts, this access must be paired with education.

Access to food options is not the only barrier to healthier diets and improved health outcomes. Wrigley et al. collected data before and after a food desert intervention to explore factors affecting supermarket choice and perceptions regarding healthy diet in Leeds, United Kingdom. Pre-tests were administered prior to a new store opening and post-tests were delivered 2 years after the new store had opened. The results showed that nearly half of the food desert residents began shopping at the newly built store, however, only modest improvements in diet were recorded.

A similar pilot study conducted by Cummins et al. focused on a community funded by the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative. They conducted follow up after a grocery store was built in a food desert to assess the impact. They found that "simply building new food retail stores may not be sufficient to promote behavior change related to diet."Studies like these showed that living close to a store stocked with fruits and vegetables does not make an impact on food choices.

A separate survey also found that supermarket and grocery store availability did not generally correlate with diet quality and fresh food intake. Pearson et al. further confirmed that physical access is not the sole determinant of fruit and vegetable consumption. Impediments common with places that are not food deserts remain.

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Muscles tense, the heart races, and thoughts blur. These are just a few of the physical reactions involved in an extremely common response mechanism: stress. According to Hans Seyle stress is the “non-specific response of the body to any demand for change” (Stress). Stress is necessary to survival, and can motivate individuals to complete tasks. However, after a certain point stress becomes unhealthy and can cause feelings of strain or tension. The scientific community has established that chronic stress, stress that is frequent or long-lasting, can affect various parts of the body and can contribute to physical health problems. However, new research demonstrates that chronic stress can also affect one’s psychological processes and behavior by changing one’s brain chemistry. Everybody experiences acute stress, but certain groups of people are more prone to experience chronic stress than others. As an individual who identifies as being of moderately low socioeconomic status (SES), I know first-hand that poverty leads to increased amounts of stress in a person’s life. The chronic stress associated with poverty affects low SES individual’s nervous systems in ways that may prevent the majority from bettering their situations, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Poverty is stressful. The constant shortage of money, dangerous or unhealthy living situations, the perception of inferiority to those of higher SES, and the overall feeling of not being in control of one’s life all contribute to the higher chronic stress levels in low SES adults. Young children of low SES most likely are not aware of the money troubles plaguing their parents and older siblings. However, they will sense the tension in the household, which will in turn make them apprehensive and tense. Also, low SES children experience less mental stimulation through books, toys, and academic outings than other children because of the cost of these things. These children also often may be emotionally neglected because their parents are so concerned about work and money (Farah 14). The tension and neglect can cause stress responses in these children. Thus, all low SES individuals can suffer from chronic stress due to their socioeconomic status.

Numerous studies demonstrate that low SES individuals have increased stress levels. In addition, it is well known that poverty increases one’s risk for chronic health problems (Delgado), such as severe depression and other mental illnesses, which hinder success in academics or work. These disorders make it much more difficult for low SES individuals to improve their situation through any form of economic advancement. While it is possible to fulfill the “American dream” and make a better life for oneself, that is not the case for most low SES individuals, especially after they leave school and start supporting a family.

In addition to the disadvantages that low SES adults face due to poverty-related health problems, several studies have shown that low SES children demonstrate less cognitive development in several areas in comparison to other children (Farah 3). Martha Farah and her associates at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study that tested key neurocognitive systems in low and middle SES children. They found that low SES children scored significantly lower than middle SES children on tests related to the left perisylvian/language system, the medial temporal/memory system, and the prefrontal/executive system, including the lateral prefrontal/working memory and anterior cingulate/cognitive control subsystems of the prefrontal/executive system (Farah 9).

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Food Deserts are areas where the people living there have a difficult time having access to good, healthy food

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Food desserts are very bad becas

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Not everyone has food

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Correlation between Poverty and Being Overweight 

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Correlation between Poverty and Being Overweight 

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According to frac.org the research for a greater chance of obesity is within the low income social class especially women and children.

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Locations where access to fresh, heathy food is not easy

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There are still thousands of people in Indiana that aren’t qualified for free lunch and live on the edge everyday. JJ, Pete, LH

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According to the New York Times, I learned that the ACA reduced the number of insured people by 25% from 2013 - 2014 but caused insurance premiums to skyrocket for people who already had insurance because of the law about requiring insurers to insure those with pre-existing conditions and to provide a broad array of benefits to everyone. - Vanessa Xiao, Rachel Shore, and Ellie Hayward

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A food desert is where there is an area where people do not have access to fresh and healthy food. This might be caused because there are not markets or forms of transportation in the area.

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Food Deserts - An area where there is little to no fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods. Most people in these areas are low-income and have to eat unhealthy foods. These areas are just one reason why our nation has such a terrible obesity epidemic.

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Food deserts make it hard for people (mostly in poverty) to get healthy food which leads to problems like obesity.

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An area where it’s difficult to get access to food

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Indianapolis is rated lowest for easy acces to food

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I found out that there is a lot of families with kids that can't afford food to eat for their kids and themselves.

Ty

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I would have originally expected affordable food to be more available, yet ‘the United States Department of Agriculture reports that about 23.5 million Americans currently live in food deserts, including 6.5 million children’

-Sophia Davison

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Correlation Between Stress and Being Overweight 

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Correlation Between Stress and Being Overweight 

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We learned that researchers have discovered that chronic stress can cause the body to release excess cortisol, a hormone critical in managing fat storage and energy use in the human body. - Sophia K + Zoë

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We learned that many people in poverty have to go to the library to get internet connection to access emails and other materials they need to access.

Willie, George, Jack

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Food deserts affect 23.5 million people most of which live in poor social economic status areas and are mostly exposed to fast food resturants. This limited availability to fresh and healthy foods create large obesity numbers in these areas.

Raiden Miyamoto and Simon Rothbaum

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The high cost of health coverage has traditionally kept as many as 48 million Americans out of health insurance. Passed in 2010, the Affordable Care Act now gives Americans new opportunities to get affordable, high-quality, comprehensive health coverage—many for the first time in their lives.

Lauren Kittle and Abbie Harris

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We learned that a food desert is a place where people are unable to get access to fresh affordable and quality food as well as people in other areas. This is also because of a lack of grocery stores and food providers. Many people in poverty do not have a place to get food less than a few miles away from their homes. Some of these people do not have cars and those who do have to deal with expensive gas prices. Indianapolis has many food deserts and many people walk for miles just to get to a grocery store.

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Public library uses for impoverished people

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Public library uses for impoverished people

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We learned that many impoverished children and adults rely on the internet access and computers provided at public libraries. Many children use them for school work while some adults rely on the internet for their jobs. Many public libraries are closing due to the lack of funding which could hurt people in poverty.
-Ahmed Athar

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Poverty is stressful. Thinking about decisions that determine where you live, and what you eat are all depended on your income. When you live near or below the poverty line, you have to start making decisions that are not always morally correct. It then becomes stressful making sure you are not going to run out of money, especially when you have children.

Catherine, Joy, Emma

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I learned that if 15% of students at a school apply for free lunch, that school also has to offer breakfast.

Chloe English

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We learned how credit scores can increase/decrease your ability to get loans and jobs and such. The people below the poverty line usually have low credit scores and that creates a black hole that they never seem to get out of.
-Maddie H, Adelaide B, and Piper M

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If your credit score is low than finding a job or house can be very difficult. Employers don't want employees with low credit scores and house owners don't want to sell their houses to people with low credit scores. With a low credit score you won't receive as many loans and it impacts your financial health overall.

Colina and Sara

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An area where there is no

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We learned that a bad credit scores decreases the chance of employment and getting loans. Also, people under the poverty line usually had very low credit scores. It is hard for your credit score to increase if you do not have a job. Indianapolis, Indiana ranks as the 93rd best major city in credit scores in the United States. -Edward and Kaleb

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We learned that food desert is an area where food is hard to afford or has bad quality.

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In low-income communities where places to play and supermarkets are limited,, it can promote consumption of low nutrition and fast food and little physical activity. Also, nutritious food tends to be more expensive which limits what people with low income can buy.  In school districts for every 1 percent increase in low-income status there is
a 1.17 percent increase in rates of overweight/obese students.

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Food deserts are areas with limited access to healthy or nutritious food. Places with food deserts normally lack grocery stores which decreases healthy food to the area.
Indianapolis ranks the worst in the nation for the % of ppl who have easy access to affordable or good quality food. 20-40% of residents living on the east side of Indianapolis without cars shop at grocery stores 3-6 miles away from their house. -Myra and Anna

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Correlations between Poverty and Obesity

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Correlations between Poverty and Obesity

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We learned that it is estimated in 2018 that 344 billion medical expenses were obesity related. In addition, young children in poverty faced childhood obesity in a recent study of 1,134 children in 10 U.S. cities.
Colin and Zach

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The ACA (aka ObummerCare) is a law designed to make it cheaper and easier for low-income individuals to get healthcare.

James H

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People living in poverty have limited access to grocery stores within a mile distance rom their home.

Cate, Mercy, Madeline

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A food desert is a impoverished place where the people living there can’t get healthy food. This happens because of the lack of farmers markets, grocery stores, and healthy food providers. Since healthy food are more expensive it has caused the obesity epidemic in America.

Sophie and Morgan

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Parts of the country where it is difficult to find fresh or healthy food. Many people living below the poverty line live in food deserts. It may be a contributing cause to America's obesity epidemic. The HFFI (healthy food financing initiative) is trying to help food deserts by expanding healthy food availability.

- Stella & Becky

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We learned that a food desert is an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. This has a negative effect on people who live in these areas. In 2006, 35.5 million Americans alone lived in food-insecure homes. That means that people aren't sure where there food is coming from, and they even have little to no access to nutritious foods causing them to skip meals and have unbalanced diets. Which raises health issues.

Rebecca Liebross & Lana Barham

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We learned that Indianapolis ranks the worst in the nation for food deserts. Residents on the east side say that on average they shop at grocery stores 3 -6 miles from there home. That’s really a struggle for people without cars. Food deserts are places where there’s little or no access of healthy food.
Sophie and Clara

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I learned that even though federal legislation created ACA, it made state's participation OPTIONAL.  By 2017, 19 states chose to not participate. The result is that more than 2 1/2 million people (most living in extreme poverty) in these states are neither eligible for ACA or Medicare -- they were left uninsured.
Ms. Nissan