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FOOD DESERTS IN URBAN AREAS REBECCA BRUNTY, PHILLIP BERRA, STEVEN DYKE, ALLEY SWIGER, ANNA DANIELS & MELISSA POWERS

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY?

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WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Food System and the Food Cycle Food policy consists of setting goals for the sectors of the food system. Doisy College of Health Sciences Saint Louis University

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Doisy College of Health Sciences Saint Louis University

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CategoryFood Policy OldFood Policy New PopulationMostly ruralMostly urban Supply chainsShort small number of food milesLong large number of food miles Typical food preparationMostly food cooked at homeHigh proportion of pre-prepared meals, food eaten out PackagingLowHigh Food bought inLocal stalls or shops, open marketsSupermarkets Food safety issuesPesticide poisoning of field workers Toxins associated with poor storage Pesticide residues in food adulteration Bio-safety issues in processed foods (salmonella, listeriosis) Nutrition problemsUnder-nutritionChronic dietary diseases (obesity, heart disease, diabetes) Nutrient issuesMicronutrientsFat and Sugar Food-insecure PeasantsUrban and rural poor Remedy for household food shortage Safety nets, food-based reliefSocial protection, income transfers Fora for food policy Ministries of agriculture, relief/rehabilitation, health Ministries of trade & industry, consumer affairs Food activist groups, NGOs Focus of food policy Agricultural technology, supplementary feeding, food for work Competition and rent-seeking in the value chain, waste management, advertising, health education, food safety Doisy College of Health Sciences Saint Louis University

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WHAT IS A FOOD DESERT?

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FOOD DESERT DEFINITION 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).

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIET AND HEALTH "Substantial current research emphasizes how urban food environments affect health particularly through the abundance of low-cost fast food, the death of supermarkets and fresh food and attendant effects on nutritional status and obesity. The Contribution of Urban Foodways to Health Disparities

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIET AND HEALTH -Conceptual Framework: multiple contributing factors to diet and health emphasized in a food desert environment. -Lack of access to nutritious food or the ability to exercise and practice a healthy lifestyle. -Correlation between access to supermarkets and less obesity. -Similar correlation with convenience stores and fast food: more fast food and convenience store, greater risk of obesity. -Increase in healthy options without a limitation of current food options will likely not have a significant effect.

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CONCERNS WITH FOOD DESERT AREAS Malnutrition -Obesity paradox choosing cheaper foods to stretch budget Usually nutrient-poor and energy dense Results in overweight/obesity Increased risk of chronic diseases Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, some cancers -Lacking key nutrients due to limited food choices -Limited options for physical activity

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WHY DOES IT MATTER? IS IT JUST? The crowds of starving peoplechildren, women, the elderly, immigrants, refugees, and unemployedraise to us their cry of suffering. They implore us, hoping to be heard.Pope John Paul II --We have an ethical obligation to help others in need -- Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that one billion people suffer from hunger with another one billion from undernourishment.

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SAINT LOUIS FOOD DESERTS

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63103 63110 63108 63104

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FOOD DESERT: 63104

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FOOD DESERT: 63110

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FOOD DESERT: 63103

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63108NON FOOD DESERT

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ST LOUIS CITY FOOD ENVIRONMENT Doisy College of Health Sciences Saint Louis University

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ST. LOUIS DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

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DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS Racial Demographic Majority African American About 40% Caucasian Income Food Desert Zip Codes: $25,000-$40,000 Non Food Desert Zip Code:$54,000 Age: 0-4 years old: