Question Of The Week- Food Deserts?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A FOOD DESERT?

Recently I read an article about food deserts.  Not desserts, deserts.  Food deserts are large geographic areas where mainstream grocery stores are scarce or missing. They are found predominantly in low-income areas, although not everyone living in a food desert is poor. They can be in urban, suburban or rural communities. 

Because of these deserts nutritious foods are not as accessible. People skip meals and have unbalanced diets. These deserts are becoming more and more common especially in the South, where residents might have to drive 30 miles or more to a local grocery store.  Some of these are starting to crop up in your area. 

What do you think of these?  Should we allow this to happen?  Do you live in an area with a food desert? How will this effect public health?   

I know in my hometown every corner has some fast food related establishment but grocery stores are not far away.  However, people's work schedules and hurried lives seem to grant us the right to just hop in our car and purchase fast food rather than peruse the aisles of a grocery store. It's not uncommon to see strip malls filled with fast food options rather than a clothing or shoe store. Our brains seem to be programmed that the ease of a drive-thru will add less stress to our lives.   

I have also heard that because of the rising cost of groceries compared to the cost of a dollar menu item at a local fast food chain people are taking the latter into consideration.

Whenever I head to a fast food chain for sustenance it is a long drawn out thought process as to what I will choose.  Not knowing what is inside my food is a scary thought.  When I cook at home with fresh ingredients I feel safer and less likely to stray from what my purpose for eating is, to fuel my body.

It frightens me to think that in the next couple of decades we may not see as many grocery stores.  It also angers me to think that these deserts are going up in low income areas. What can we do to change this?  

For now, I still have a choice but knowing that so many others don't is upsetting. Knowing that we're being set up to harm our bodies and add to our obesity rate makes me wonder whose side these deserts are on? Perhaps if the healthy choices outweighed the non-nutritious choices?  Maybe if there was more nutritional data  handed out when we entered these establishments? We still have a long road to go. Becoming conscious of it is a step in the right direction.