Few have heard of them, but millions are affected by them right here in America, one of the most powerful nation's in the world. Food Deserts. The name is self explanatory to a certain extent. Let us first consider the food aspect of the term. Food is any nutritious substance that we consume or drink in order to maintain life and growth. That may have seemed a bit unwarranted, but let's not underestimate the importance of food in our lives. Secondly, let's look at the term desert. While there are many different definitions of the word, in this context the word desert describes a barren and uninhabited, desolate area. When placed together, the term means the heart of some America's most prevalent health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
The Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group defines a food desert as a geographical location that lacks access to healthy foods necessary to sustain a heart healthy life and proper nutritious diet. Contrary to what the phrase may imply, a food desert is not an area that does not have food at all. Conversely, there usually is an abundance of food available to the inhabitants of these nutritiously arid regions. The food, however, that is available is high in sugar, salt and fat and ultimately create a recipe for disaster in regards to the health of those residents therein. Simply put, millions of Americans have better access to fast food chains than they do to supermarkets that provide fresh produce and other grocery items needed to maintain a healthy diet.
Food deserts exist, most prominently, in areas of low income and regions with a high concentration of minorities, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While there is no standardized distance in from which residents should live from a supermarket in relation to their homes. A region's classification as a food desert depends on the community's reliance on public
