Topic: ‘Food Deserts’ Are Spread Across Most of U.S. Mainland

[Pandora]

6,501, according to the USDA.

A complicated methodology was used to identify the food deserts, with data gathered from the 2000 U.S. Census, a directory of large supermarkets, demographics that include rural or urban areas, income levels, and the distance to the nearest grocery store, according to the U.S.D.A.’s Food Desert Locator portion of its Web site.

In general, a food desert exists where low-income people must travel more than 1 mile in urban communities and 10 miles in rural communities to access retailers that have fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy food offerings.

In an announcement on Wednesday, First Lady Michelle Obama said that some of those retail supermarkets and grocery stores have made commitments to expand or open 1,500 stores to “provide access to healthy, affordable food to millions of people in underserved communities,” the White House press release stated.

...

The press release did not, however, include other statistics from the 2009 report, which include data showing that only 2.2 percent of all U.S. households live more than a mile from a supermarket and do not have access to a vehicle.

The report said an additional 3.2 percent of all households live between one-half and one mile to a supermarket and do not have access to a vehicle.

“If estimates are restricted to consider only low-income people in low-income areas, then 11.5 million or 4.1 percent of the total U.S. population, live in low-income areas more than 1 mile from a supermarket,” stated the report.

The report further said that “93 percent of those who live in low-income areas with limited access traveled to the grocery store in a vehicle they or another household member drove.”

Another finding in the report indicates that access rather than a lack of access may play a larger role in obesity rates.

“Easy access to all food, rather than lack of access to specific healthy foods, may be a more important factor in explaining increases in obesity,” the report states.

 

[IronDioPriest]

I would file this in the "who gives a sh*t" category, except that I know damn well government is going to try to "fix" this, and really screw it up. Heck, the cynical side of me just assumes that government wants to get involved in order to claim control over food distribution and pricing.

[Pandora]

Already happening in the form of The First Mrs. meddling.  She's apparently "influenced" WalMart (of all things!), Walgreens and some others to "get involved".

I find the abuse of the language aggravating, too.  "Food desert"?  Puleeze.  That's as bad as "food insecure".

[Libertas]

Yeah, but too close to the food oasis and your lack of self-control will ensure you turn into a fat bloated pig!

These asshats can create more solutions to non-existent problems faster than anything! 

It's all designed to further enslave the populace and accrue more power for the bureaucrats!

  them!

 

[Damn_Lucky]

Yeah, but too close to the food oasis and your lack of self-control will ensure you turn into a fat bloated pig!

These asshats can create more solutions to non-existent problems faster than anything! 

It's all designed to further enslave the populace and accrue more power for the bureaucrats!

  them!

 

Them indeed!