An unfortunate cycle: some people get to live in neighborhoods with health food stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joes. People living in lower income neighborhoods might live in neighborhoods where there are no supermarkets at all, only fast food restaurants and liquor stores…increasing the likelihood of poor nutrition and diets, hypertension, diabetes, which may negatively affect educational and job performance and prospects, social mobility, etc. The concept is called Food Deserts:
Residents do without in America’s ‘food deserts’
Bread & booze; For too many Chicagoans the nearest grocer is a liquor store
What are any solutions? Changing zoning laws, tax incentives for grocery stores to move in to lower income areas, better public transportation? Reinstatement of home economic classes to teach about nutrition, higher sin taxes on fast food and liquor?
Also see the documentary as aired on PBS: Unnatural Causes …is inequality making us sick?
Filed under: documentaries, economics, food, nutrition, public health, sociology, statistics, urban planning, zoning | 2 Comments »
The Trickle-Down 