The Importance Of Food Deserts In America

Recently there has been massive social unrest around the country in response to the many social justice issues Americans are facing daily. Even as progressive laws are passed to further basic rights of oppressed groups, social action has been continuing in an effort to spread awareness of the abysmal state of this country in regard to institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, etc. Yet, for all the impressive effort made by so many, food-politics is often an oversight made by even those who hope to move America into a more inclusive and socially sustainable condition. But when we talk about other social issues, especially racism and classism, it is irresponsible to leave food out of the discussion. Specifically, food deserts continue …show more content…
Of those 23.5 million people, about half are also low income. Considering that some small corner stores that do not carry fresh foods are still considered grocery stores, those numbers are potentially much higher. Some argue that in order to improve nutrition in impoverished areas, more access to grocery stores must be established, while another idea is that high prices for healthy vs low prices for unhealthy food is more to blame. Whatever the cause, poor nutrition, especially for children may lead to obesity, sicknesses like type 2 diabetes, anxiety disorders, and learning disabilities. Children who have poor nutrition are also more likely to repeat grades and have even linked to lower IQs (Fleck, 2016). With childhood obesity having “more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years,”(CDC, 2016) action must be taken to reserve as much damage as …show more content…
Luckily, programs like SNAP and WIC continue assistance by providing supplemental income for food for families who need it most: those with “income at or below an income level or standard set by the State agency or be determined automatically income-eligible based on participation in certain programs” (WIC Eligibility Requirements, 2016). Unfortunately, only 75% of Americans eligible for SNAP actually use the program (SNAP, 2016). This, of course, goes back to proper education, not just about how to eat healthier, but also what resources already exist which can help struggling families with that issue. Adequate food sources, education, and affordability all seem equally important and interdependent, each of which is a difficult enough task to take