Running head: The End of Food Deserts 1

The End of Food Deserts

Daisy Miranda

Arizona State University

The End of Food Deserts 2

Abstract

This paper discusses the definition of food deserts and the demographic, and social

demographics of those areas. The only way to affect change and rid the United States of food

deserts is to attack it on multiple fronts. Adjusting food prices, subsidizing healthy food,

education , enacting legislation, urban rezoning, and changing how food is advertised in popular

media and internet in unison can effect change.

Keywords: f​ ood desert, media, education, child health

The End of Food Deserts 3

The End of Food Deserts

What is a Food Desert? A Food Desert has been described by the USDA as “a region of

the United States that is devoid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole healthy foods”. The lack of

the availability of these foods leads to detrimental effects on the population of these areas.

These areas share scary similar characteristics such as occurring in urban areas dominated by a

population with lower socioeconomic status. Much research has been done on this topic, and

several studies have identified the causes of these characteristics as well as solutions to solving

the Food Desert problem. Why do we care about food deserts and why should we eliminate

them? After all, solutions to this problem are possible, but the solution is not simple but rather

complicated. The answer is we should because it affects our populations health and economic

well being as a country. Solving the issue of food deserts also fixes problems with the popular

media, our culture and even our daily lives. An interplay of several approaches are needed will

be the only permanent solution involving community, government and media can solve the issue

at hand and bring an end to food deserts.

What is a Food Desert, the USDA describes a food desert as an area lacking access to proper

nutritious whole foods, but what does that really look like in reality? Food Deserts typically

appear in urban areas with few supermarkets, but have a rather large density of fast food, and

small convenience stores. These stores, rather than carry whole nutritious foods, are packed with

low cost, high calorie and long shelf life foods. Despite being loaded with fat and high in

calories, unhealthy calorie packed foods have the advantage of appeal being tasty, easily

transported, easily packaged, low cost, profitable and being tasty with minimal logistics being
The End of Food Deserts 4

required. These foods, being the only food available to the areas, contribute drastically to

obesity and reduced health as the lack of any other alternatives forces people in the food desert to

consume these unhealthy foods. The allure of tasty, high calorie foods at very low cost and such

high profitable for the stores cannot be minimized or ignored. They can be bought in bulk,

stored for long periods and sold at low prices. It is not enough that persons of low

socioeconomic status (SES) can afford only low cost food, it is their only option. “It is not

ethical to force a population of people to eat only what is available to them, but profit off the

sales of this limited option of food” (M.Gallagher)

Another concern of why we should eliminate food deserts is to reform the current media, which

is obsessed with consumerism. A great example is a coca-cola ad, almost every ad is family

oriented with lovable bears and associated with happiness or being hip or cool.

In what reality does the consumption of high calorie soft drinks, one of the greatest causes of

obesity, result in happiness and family cohesiveness. How does simply drink Pepsi or Mountain

Dew suddenly make someone cool and a super athlete. It doesn’t, it does the exact opposite. The

different forms of media, from Pinterest to cable TV show us these commercials when they

shouldn’t. This needs to change and media needs to be held accountable for their heresy, lies,

and inaccuracies about posting ads for 5.99 Pizza, and how these foods contribute to an

unhealthy lifestyle.

Additionally, in food deserts, large populations of low socioeconomic status persons exist further

perpetuating and supporting the existence of these small stores and purveyors of cheap hi calorie

obesity causing foods as they can only afford cheaper foods and have no choice but to buy low
The End of Food Deserts 5

cost foods. This has the effect of reinforcing the stocking and sales of cheap high calorie foods.

People with low SES tend to make less money, as such they have to work longer hours to make a

living which further cuts down on their available time when they get home from work. Rather

than waste what little time they have left, high calorie unhealthy foods are fast to prepare or

come ready to eat tus further perpetuating the problem.

Next, we find that small convenience stores are a symptom of old city planning where things like

supermarkets did not exist and small marketplaces where prevalent. The small markets found the

logistics of getting fresh whole foods difficult and as such they were replaced by corner

convenience stores that did not rely on close supply lines of fresh food. The only way to remedy

this problem is to rezone cities so that supermarkets can be build and offer wholesome foods and

provide some competition to thee current purveyors.

Lastly, we should discuss popular attitudes of food. In the US, social media and the internet

forces us to be consumers. We must revamp the social media system and internet to change the

attitudes of people and our youth. Unhealthy food is constantly glamerized and associated with

positive things. It should be tried as negative and healthy food glamorized rather than vice

versa. doing so might end our obesity epidemic for children.

The End of Food Deserts 6

References

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2014. ProQuest Ebook Central,

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/asulib-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1682203

Board, on Population Health and Public Health Practice Staff, et al. The Public Health Effects of

Food Deserts : Workshop Summary, edited by Paula Tarnapol Whitacre, et al., National

Academies Press, 2009. ProQuest Ebook Central,

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/asulib-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3378502

​Smart, M. J. (2018). Walkability, transit, and body mass index: A panel approach. ​Journal of

Transport & Health,8​, 193-201. doi:10.1016/j.jth.2017.12.012

​Gallagher, M. (n.d.). USDA Defines Food Deserts. Retrieved from

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

​Food Desert | Gateway to Health Communication | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/FoodDesert.html

O'Leary, L., & Velasco, P. (2018, January 5). The unexpected challenges of living in a food

desert. Retrieved from

https://www.marketplace.org/2018/01/05/world/unexpected-challenges-living-food-desert