‘Food Swamp’: Studies Reveal Urban ‘Food Deserts’ Not so Parched for Health Food Access
- Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:30pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
(Photo: Seasmoked/Flickr)
Some would have you to believe urban areas are riddled with greasy fast food restaurants with little accessibility to healthy food options. The U.S. Department of Agriculture even has a locator for areas deemed “food deserts,” regions where there is low access to healthy food. Michelle Obama has made food deserts a part of her campaign against childhood obesity, saying last fall in Chicago that some residents on the South Side may have to take two or three buses or a taxi to get fresh fruit and veggies.
(Related: USDA to spend $10 million to help fund Michelle Obama’s food deserts)
Now, two new studies are countering this sentiment, according to the New York Times. They have found that access to healthy food may not be as difficult to locate in poorer urban areas as previously thought. We reported in 2010 that even the Department of Agriculture estimated poorer individuals lived closer to grocery stores than those with higher incomes.
The Times has more on the recent studies:
Within a couple of miles of almost any urban neighborhood, “you can get basically any type of food,” said Roland Sturm of the RAND Corporation, lead author of one of the studies. “Maybe we should call it a food swamp rather than a desert,” he said.
Sturm’s study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found no relation between the California children and teens whose data he reviewed and the food they ate, their weight and proximity to food establishments within a mile and a half from their home. In a separate study that will publish in Public Health, the Times reports, Sturm took a national look at middle schoolers and saw consistent results on that larger scale as well. There was not a relationship between where the middle schoolers lived and where they ate.
The second study referred to by the Times was conducted by Helen Lee of the Public Policy Institute of California. Lee had data on 8,000 students, where they lived, went to school and how much they weighed. From there, the Times reports Lee saying she established where the students could be getting access to food around their home and even defined neighborhoods based on their economic status. The Times has more on what she found:
Poor neighborhoods, Dr. Lee found, had nearly twice as many fast food restaurants and convenience stores as wealthier ones, and they had more than three times as many corner stores per square mile. But they also had nearly twice as many supermarkets and large-scale grocers per square mile.
In case you’re wondering, there is specific criteria for how a food desert is designated as such, according to the USDA:
- To qualify as a “low-income community,” a census tract must have either: 1) a poverty rate of 20 percent or higher, OR 2) a median family income at or below 80 percent of the area’s median family income;
- To qualify as a “low-access community,” at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract’s population must reside more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (for rural census tracts, the distance is more than 10 miles).
Highlighted areas reveal food deserts. (Image: USDA)
The Times reports researchers not involved in the study saying other considerations need to be taken into account when reviewing this information. For example, it reports John Weidman with the Philadelphia-based Food Trust advocacy group saying “not all grocery stores are equal” in terms of quality of healthy food provided.
The Times also clarifies Mrs. Obama fight against food deserts with a USDA spokesman saying that access to healthy food isn‘t the one thing that will help improve children’s health in the United States. Justin DeJong told the Times in an e-mail “a comprehensive response” that includes improved access, healthy food in schools and more physical education are among what the country need to trim down.
At the same time as these findings have been compiled, a new study from the Medical University of South Carolina has found that even those considered overweight may still technically be as healthy as slimmer individuals. The Daily Mail reports the study suggests obese individuals who engaged in healthy activities — eating well, exercise and limiting alcohol — held the same risk for dying young as those who were not considered obese.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 690 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 480 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 375 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 336 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 323 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 310 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 323 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 219 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 310 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (65)
FreedomPurveyor
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:39amGuess what Manchelle, it doesn’t make economic sense to set up an organic food store near a bunch of fatties. If they want fast food they’re going to eat fast food whether or not a whole foods is there.
Typical, find any way to take the responsibility off of the individual so that you can shift it to the government.
Report Post »OvertaxedNY
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:17amIf you look at the gov’t guide, you’ll find the beaches in the Hamptons are food deserts. I can attest that yes, while at the beach in the Hamptons it does look like a desert (If you ignore the ocean) and there are no vendors. However if you go up the road a bit to the surfer beach in Montauk you’ll find fine dining at the Montaco van which claims to use only the freshest ingredients. http://montaco.tumblr.com/
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:41amBehold, our tax dollars at work!
Report Post »Thevoice
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:02pmTruly… Is this not one of the goofiest things the “New age progressive commies” have ever come up with ..
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:34pmI remember… some years ago in Detroit… a Black Leader cliamed that his Community was being Starved by other Races… because there were no food stores around a location… just after they had been burned down by that Community because the stores were run by other races. So, it appears that the Left bought into it’s own Propaganda… and went to prove it!
One tells a Lie… and they all believe it!
Report Post »AxelPhantom
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 8:06amI don‘t know what anyone else’s experience was with their area on the map but this is what I found.
Many areas that would definately qualify as poor out by us (trailer park areas etc) that are more than one mile, in at least two cases 6+ miles from a store are not included. They are also Conservative areas. Meanwhile areas that are “well off” but liberal and have several natural grocery stores and even “organic” restraunts are included in the map (think regurgitated hippy areas).
This appears to be nothing but another “redistribution of wealth” scheme.
Report Post »mikewooten
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 7:24amI am rather curious, after messing around with the “interactive food desert locator” located on the USDA website, approximately how much it cost taxpayers to assimilate all that data.
I remember as a child being pounded on by the food nazi‘s back in the 60’s when the proper nutrition guidelines were put in place, then it was followed by the “food pyramid”. So, with the USDA’s 129 billion dollar budget this past year, you will find that as their budget has increased…so have waistlines. Eating right is a choice, you either make the choice or you don’t. Whatever the results, you must live with the results.
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 7:07amShows that the racist Michelle Obama is just as much of a lair as her idiot lair of a husband is.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:27pmyou are right. they both have dens of inequity & inequality, one lying about food responsibility, and the other about economic responsibility.
Report Post »Boss J
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 7:40pmObama is SCOMF
Report Post »Stuttering Clustf#ck Of a Miserable Failure
Gonzo
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 6:46amSo let me guess, Barry thinks tax payers should support government run health food stores that sell health food at a loss like an oasis in the desert of fast food. Meanwhile, there will be a line out the door of the neighboring KFC.
Report Post »EP46
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 6:36amobama ate a dog
https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23obamadogrecipes
Report Post »EP46
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 6:26amNewest business in the U.S……Selling food stamps.
One of the most common forms of food stamp fraud, known as food stamp trafficking, involves the illegal buying or selling of food stamp benefits for cash, drugs, weapons or other items of value.
People are buying and selling foodstamps online……this is another way the Food Stamp potus is redistributing the wealth….give folks food stamps to sell for guns and drugs.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:46amHow far do you have to travel to find a people not on food stamps ?
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:29pmcuba
Report Post »conserve48
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 4:20amAll of those nutritional good foods that Michelle Bubblebutt has eaten are doing her wonders. I want my kids to look just like her.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 5:42amif Michael Moore had a daughter she would look just like michelle obama
Report Post »iguana
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 2:54amThe article is rather misleading. Most grocery stores have all types of food, YOU ake the choice what you take home for dinner. My idea of what was meant by a food desert is the larger grocery stores abandoning the inner city areas. That is often true. And caused mostly by high crime and other situations created by (mostly) that partial group of inner city local residents that have never been civilized, refuse to assimilate into American society, and generally have no idea how to behave in public. Why wouldn’t the grocery stores (and every other kind of store) abandon the area to the savages. Clean up your own darn neighborhoods and the businesses will come back.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 5:51amThis black guy open a grocery store / supermarket in the inner city of Buffalo Ny….it lastedonly 6 months, the peeps robbed him blind. So you speak the truth
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:33pmin downtown Cincinnati, Krogers closed it’s only store because of too much crime…oh i mean an operating loss going on for years.
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 2:47ameven if michelle obama was telling the truth…all she did was indict the democrats which have ruled chicago forever,,,these politicians here in chicago are her people,her party,her ideology…what ever snake oil she,s selling is only a democratic ploy…….and whats sad of all…the black community here is in a darker place because of her husband,,,theres only one light and barack obama isnt it…
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:55amI was in line at the grocery store , behind a 400 lb Gorilla who was using food stamps, this chick coulda gone 3 months without a meal…..and still been obese, she wasn’t in no food desert…and actually I’m not positive it was female…..not quite sure…..but a Gorilla nonetheless …..
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:59amMichelle Obama’s attack on Food Deserts is also an attack on Democrats territories where we will see the reverse on how well those deserts feed the communities and in Republican deserts Health Inspectors will be submitting low scores.
Report Post »mr.goodvibe
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:34amAll the food deserts in norther and upper michigan are mostly national and state forests, I always found fresh blueberries and rasberries, low fat whitetail deer meat and a large variety of fresh fish and oh yeah we had grocery stores in just about every small town. What a crock and waste of taxpayer money. Stupid city libs!
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:58pmGo to the Food Desert locator, look for the address San Quentin, CA, then in another window open maps.google.com and search for San Quentin, CA – adjust the maps a bit and it becomes obvious that the prisoners in San Quentin live in a food desert – they are apparently low-income and have limited access to a supermarket or grocery store…
Report Post »OutOnTheTiles
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:55pmWhat we need to counter this is a map of “Freedom Deserts” which are far more threatening.
Report Post »Snidely
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:31pmWow. The whole county where I grew up is a “food desert”. I now drive through three “food deserts” on my way to work every day. I would have never guessed that we were a food desert. The FLOTUS doesn’t understand rural America. We don’t get all of our food from grocery stores. (I’m pretty sure that White House garden was just for a photo-op. I think she would rather be jet-setting around the globe than pulling weeds in the garden.)
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 12:01am“limited access” to healthy foods means living more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.
I know people that live one mile from their mail box!
Report Post »OutOnTheTiles
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:27pmThink of Government as a perpetual “solution” looking for a problem. I use the word “solution” in the comical sense.
Report Post »RebelPatriot
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 1:29amSolution may be the correct word, because they never know how to resolve a problem they just continue to throw more money after the fact.
Example: overpopulation, abstinence is not a solution it resolves the problem, so instead they give us abortion, doesn’t address the problem of too many young people getting pregnant, but does control population.
Same with poverty, providing jobs is a resolution to poverty, but that’s not their solution. Their solution is redistribution of wealth so those living in poverty get more assistance not to go to work.
Guess what? We still have young people getting pregnant and people living in poverty and the progressives have failed the people of the nation and no one is calling them on their failures.
What is more sad, one of their solutions works against the abortion solution. Because they chose redistribution of wealth as the answer to poverty it allowed those who got pregnant not to need an abortion out of necessity, they created a way for those single parents to benefit.
Throwing other people’s money at the problems of small groups has shown not to be the answer to reducing the problem, it only allows for the continued ability to cause the problem.
Report Post »OHN
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:14pmIt start with cigarette smoke. And we let themget a way with it. . And now it FOOD. WHEN IT GOING TO STOP. I DONT CARE WHAT YOU EAT OR SMOKE. BUT WE DONT NEED THE GOV. TO TELL US. UNTELL WE ALL STICK TO GETHER AND STOP THIS. WE DONT KNOW WHAT NEXT. PLEASE GOD ANYONE BUT OBAMA IN 2012. PLEASE GOD ANYONE BUT OBAMA. WE NOT READ TO GET OFF OIL.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:05pmIs the Obama Administration looking to establish large scale dog kennels in these food deserts to address the growing need for healthy, nutritious food?
Report Post »LogCabinRepublican
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:52pmThe Madison, WI area “Food Deserts” are sooooo WRONG!! In the area near campus there is a Whole Foods – Just like Glenn said on his show when he showed the Austin, TX “food desert” – this is total crap! – Next they will be nationalizing grocery stores.
Report Post »AjPearson
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:46pmWhat a joke. I live in Memphis, TN and apparently the whole area is a “food desert”. There are multiple chain grocery stores, corner stores, and food options. I even believe the area where our Whole Foods is considered a “desert”. More waste of government funds.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 9:52amhuge waste of government funds. I am not seeing a problem with driving more than 10 miles to the grocery store either. most folks drive longer than that to work each day. I seriously do have to drive 25 miles to my nearest grocery store at my main residence and 3hrs at some of my rural farmland. who cares? so I drive farther and get more food then the next guy costco style so I don’t have to waste gas doing it the next week all over again. just more government control and interferance. I am tired of it.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:40pmI paid 4$ for a tomato today, I could buy what 4 cheeseburgers for that price? that’s the problem taxing the land so highly that healthy food costs much to much to produce. My cows feed I grow myself but seriously the cost of fuel for my tractor is out of this world. get off the food desert and onto the real issues like gas and property taxes. watch the healthy honest food prices drop.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 9:33amYou know it! Healthy food costs WAY more than unhealthy food, and for people living paycheck to paycheck… well go hungry eating fruits and vegies or at least eat pasta all week. Perhaps Michelle should address this issue and why they changed the formula for inflation. Why burning food to run cars is stupid, etc… I mean that‘s if she really cared about the people who don’t take 10 vacations a year. “Let them eat cake!”
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 10:40pmDuh, what another Gov’t lie? I am shocked. The lies are so vast, it is so hard for a mere gun totting, Bible clinging person to keep up…..
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:03pm@KAYDEEBEAU
I hear you .. overload us with lie after lie … threat after threat .
November 2012 .. LIBERTY .. til then
I will just cling to my guns and Bible ;-)
Report Post »Mikev5
Posted on April 21, 2012 at 2:23amAs far as I’m concerned the Bammas are chronic liars and manipulators of our country the whole food thing was constructed to make her look like she is an intelligent smart first lady HA Ha and HA I say I don’t think she even knows what good FOOD IS IF IT JUMPED UP AND BIT HER ON THE BEHIND.
Report Post »