Food Deserts: What is the Problem? What is the Solution?

Answering Food Insecurity: Serving the Community With Food and Knowledge Using Technology

“…Lowincome families often rely on public transportation and may not own a personal vehicle. "Access to a car is, for most, a more important consideration than access to a full service supermarket" (Wright et al, 2016). Lack of transportation limits where families can shop, and neighborhood convenient stores may be the only option.…”

“…Students aimed to go to large supermarkets in poorer areas of the community, but they realized these were not in walking distance of lowincome areas. "Findings suggested that predominantly white census tracts had five times the number of supermarkets that black neighborhoods had" (Wright et al, 2016), resulting in money going toward transportation costs. It makes sense for lower-income families to simply shop at, as the name implies, convenience stores.…”

“…APA has approximately 700 students on free or reduced lunch programs, and their elementary and high schools are located in a food desert region. Food deserts "refer to areas (e.g., neighborhoods, census tracts, communities) that lack access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food" (Wright, Donley, Gualtieri, & Strickhouser, 2016). This means that APA students go to bed hungry and wake up hungry.…”

The health of the homeless

“…Koh et al () thus refer to the “hunger–obesity” paradox, a paradox widely noted in the literature on food insecurity in the United States (see Wright, Donley, & Strickhouser, Forthcoming). But the “paradox” is only paradoxical because of the common misconception that obesity results from overeating.…”

Introduction to the special issue on food deserts and security: Bringing together diverse voices

“…On the demand side, consumer food choices are influenced by income, availability, mobility, time, convenience, knowledge, and skills as well as culture, ethnicity, tradition, and customs. Other key behavior factors include food familiarity, enjoyment, satiation, and shelf life (Wright, Donley, Gualtieri, & Strickhouser, ). On the supply side, grocery store location decisions depend on local demand, costs, zoning, and scale; sales of alcohol, tobacco, and energy‐dense snacks may contribute to profitability but ill health as well.…”