Tag: Food deserts

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition, which includes undernutrition, affects individuals across all income levels but disproportionately impacts the poor. Poverty food refers to the inexpensive, energy-dense but nutrient-poor diets often consumed by individuals and families with limited financial resources.

According to Feeding Texas, over 5.3 million Texans currently face food insecurity, a figure that makes the state a national leader in this metric. The question of how many Texans are hungry reflects a complex challenge, driven by economic pressures and systemic issues that affect millions of families, children, and seniors across the state.

According to the USDA, millions of Americans live in areas considered food deserts, where access to affordable, healthy food is extremely limited. In these communities, the types of foods that might be found in a food desert often consist of highly processed, packaged goods and fast-food options rather than fresh, whole foods.

According to the USDA, millions of Americans live in low-income areas where access to a supermarket is limited. This phenomenon, known as a 'food desert,' is a prime example of what is an example of a diet related disparity, highlighting how geographic and economic factors directly impact nutritional health and wellness.

According to Feeding America, Black and Hispanic households face food insecurity at rates more than double that of white, non-Hispanic households, highlighting a stark imbalance in who experiences hunger. This disparity points to underlying systemic factors rather than individual shortcomings.

According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research, people in dimly lit restaurants consumed an average of 18% more calories than those in well-lit settings. This demonstrates just one of many ways environmental factors can influence the amount the average person consumes, often without our conscious awareness. These external triggers, from physical cues to social pressures, play a significant role in shaping our daily food intake beyond basic hunger and satiety signals.

According to a 2024 study, healthy food is more than twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy options on a national scale, but this price gap varies significantly by location. Analyzing how much more expensive is healthy food in every state reveals a complex landscape of factors influencing food costs and nutritional choices. This regional variance is shaped by transportation costs, local economies, and retail competition, creating unique challenges for consumers across the U.S.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition, with the vast majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries. This stark statistic is just one indicator of how social class affects nutrition, showcasing profound inequalities in dietary health worldwide.

Globally, unhealthy diets are a leading cause of poor health and death. The term 'food environment' explains this phenomenon by encompassing all the physical, economic, and socio-cultural contexts that shape the foods people choose to acquire, prepare, and consume every day.

In 2023, approximately 13.5 percent of U.S. households, or 47.4 million people, faced food insecurity, revealing a profound struggle for many to consistently access nutritious food. Understanding why is it so hard to get healthy food in America requires a look beyond individual choices to the systemic issues at play.