Why equal food life in the suburbs only

Image : http://www.flickr.com

The media and the health sector, such as talking too much about the obesity epidemic and how to stop Americans eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Sounds simple, and many of us is a perfectly achievable and realistic goal, but for many Americans living in low-income communities is not simply an option.

There is a growing inequality in food prices, quality and availability of food in the United States, between urban and suburbanCommunity, and the effects are increasingly clear over the years.

It has nothing to do with willpower, laziness or lack of nutrition education. For low-income families in the neighborhood, like so many other things in life, is always a nutritious meal is money.

The World Food Summit in 1996 food security is defined as "all people at all times to access to safe and nutritious enough for a healthy and active life" has kept the World Health Organization(WHO) added that in addition to food availability at all times, food safety, but also access to food at reasonable prices and the concepts of nutrition.

It seems a simple concept, without access to food? - But food insecurity is widespread in areas with low incomes. Food safety and access to supermarkets varies greatly between low-income neighborhoods. Statistically suburbs are many supermarkets,tend to have better quality, nutritionally seen in these low-income communities and convenience, low quality, high calorie, nutritionally empty food sales exceeded at low prices.

There were branches, several studies in adults and the grocery store, which gives access to the relationship between the base of the area of income and consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in calories and fat-rich snacks. The results show thatDistricts, with full access to supermarkets tend to choose healthier products and better overall quality of the food.

Chung and Meyers, a study in the area of Minneapolis and St. Paul Metro, where about 50 food prices and cons of the 55 outlets in the region. The results showed the poor pay a bit more 'for more food, and large food chains, where prices are cheaper, are not the poorestBarrios, period.

Myth: Children are living longer than their parents.
The truth: This generation of children will be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are now among primary school children than middle-aged adults. "

Supermarket chains like Whole Foods and Stop & Shop with a branch in the upper-middle class neighborhoods. In the Boston area, is a Whole Foods supermarket in a neighborhoodwith an average family income averaged $ 73,000 and the median family income and a one-stop supermarket is $ 57,000. The median income family in the city of Boston, but $ 44,151.

So where does this leave the low-income communities? To buy food in shops and fast food chains, gas stations and discount stores with limited options. Do not eat fruits and vegetables, if anywhere with them.

Morton and his team conducted a study toThe investigation of the association of the local food and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The researchers analyzed the availability of supermarkets, grocery stores and in Mississippi, Maryland, Minnesota and North Carolina residents and the rate of cardiovascular disease. Most study participants were white, adults are overweight. The results showed that the availability of supermarkets and grocery stores in conjunction with a lower prevalence of beingOverweight, while the majority of stores is correlated with a higher prevalence of obesity. The researchers argue that local food environments should be considered when it comes to finding solutions to the obesity epidemic.

Did you know?
Obese children are more common in low-income areas and greater influence in the former African-Americans and Hispanics.

Although the availability of fresh nutritious food in supermarkets is limited to higher incomeFamilies, fast food on every corner are in low-income neighborhoods. For example, the locations of McDonald's, on average, in neighborhoods with average household income $ 44,000 found - are very low income for whole foods and Stop & Shop, with the service.

What does this mean? Dietary habits are known risk factors for diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In addition, several studies of racial and economic divide is a healthy dietAccess. The inhabitants of rural areas, low income and minorities are systematically ignored by supermarkets and grocery stores, and his health is suffering for it. Obesity is more prevalent among minorities in low-income communities, such as access and can afford, even foods high in calories.

"The bottom line: Our local, state and national law concerning the environmental health of our decisions, especially when our access to healthy food and quality. Supermarkets tend to bemiddle-class neighborhoods in the fast-food restaurants in low-income neighborhoods. Consequently, the entire population without access to healthy food, because the amount of money they earn, which is not the food security of all Americans have the right to left. "

10 decisions on healthy food at McDonald's

- Ask your server to keep the salt on fries
- Apple ladles with caramel sauce low fat
- Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
- English Muffin
- 1% lowfat white milk jug (8fl oz)
- Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich (without mayonnaise)
- Grilled Chicken Salad with Southwest
- Creamy vanilla ice cream low fat
- Fruit and Nut
- Grill Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap ()