Currently an epidemic is sweeping the nation with a higher prevalence than any other chronic disease in the United States. Neither bacteria, nor a deadly virus causes this disease. It is not contagious and the mortality is relatively low. However, the rate of morbidity throughout life is high. It may seem unlikely for a non-contagious condition to become an epidemic, but in the case of obesity, this has become a harsh reality. Approximately “sixty-seven percent of the population in the United States is either overweight or obese and thirty-five percent are classified as obese” (Callahan, 2013). Many occurrences have led to this condition blossoming into such a nationwide epidemic. Some of the most influential factors that increase risk of adult
…show more content…
A food desert is defined as “a neighborhood in which healthy food is expensive and/or difficult to find” (Shannon, 2014). This can be due to a lack of grocery stores, a lack of quality produce at a reasonable price within markets, or even a lack of public transportation, making it difficult for residents to get to a place with good food options. While there is often a lack of good quality food in stores, there is an abundance of fast food establishments where individuals can purchase energy dense food for lower prices and often in large quantities (Guthman, 2013). Although this allows the individuals the ability to afford food for their families, it is also filling the families with foods high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. For these families, fast food may be the only option, because “low household income is often included as a criterion of a food desert” (Shannon, 2014) and it has been found that “financial constraints dictate food choice” (Alkon et al., 2013). According to Holzman (2010), “about 23.5 million people live in low-income areas that are more than 1 mile from a supermarket” which places them in what is considered to be a food desert. When the choice is between spending ten dollars on fresh chicken for a meal, or spending ten dollars on burgers and fries for the whole family, the latter is the financially reasonable
A food desert is defined as “a neighborhood in which healthy food is expensive and/or difficult to find” (Shannon, 2014). This can be due to a lack of grocery stores, a lack of quality produce at a reasonable price within markets, or even a lack of public transportation, making it difficult for residents to get to a place with good food options. While there is often a lack of good quality food in stores, there is an abundance of fast food establishments where individuals can purchase energy dense food for lower prices and often in large quantities (Guthman, 2013). Although this allows the individuals the ability to afford food for their families, it is also filling the families with foods high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. For these families, fast food may be the only option, because “low household income is often included as a criterion of a food desert” (Shannon, 2014) and it has been found that “financial constraints dictate food choice” (Alkon et al., 2013). According to Holzman (2010), “about 23.5 million people live in low-income areas that are more than 1 mile from a supermarket” which places them in what is considered to be a food desert. When the choice is between spending ten dollars on fresh chicken for a meal, or spending ten dollars on burgers and fries for the whole family, the latter is the financially reasonable