Healthy Eating--A Privilege of the Rich?

I was doing my grocery shopping the other day at my favorite local discount store.  This store is not located in an "upscale" neighborhood but I enjoy shopping there for the bargains and the people are very friendly and courteous.  I started to notice, however that this store was not carrying healthy options of certain foods.  There was no low-calorie this.  There was no sugar-free/fat-free that.  I also looked for a low-sodium version of a juice I like and sure enough - not there.  I had to ask a man that worked there if they carried fat-free milk.  He said yes, they didn't have it out on the shelves that he would have to go get it for me.  I checked to make sure that this particular store even had a "health food" section.  It was so small that the only healthy items it carried were rice cakes and granola bars.  I went to the manager and asked why he didn't carry healthy options like this.  He said he would check into it and get back to me.  I never received a call back. 

When you go to your local grocery store or super market you should be able to have the opportunity to purchase the same healthy choices no matter what area you're in, upscale, middle class or lower income.  All grocery store chains, no matter what  their location should provide all the basic nutritious foods suggested by the USDA's my plate and my pyramid. 

A household is considered "food secure" when the family doesn’t live in hunger or fear of starvation, so food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it.  If you have a grocery store located in a low income area that does not carry healthy food options what outcome do you think you're going to have?  Poor households often have a consistently difficult time affording quality food, having adequate access to it and typically end up with poor diets characterized by lots of starch and refined sugar.  So, we're talking about empty calories that predispose people to becoming overweight and definitely increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Could I have driven to a different store in a more upscale area to purchase these items? Sure.  The point is why should I have to?  Why should anyone have to for that matter?  Why aren't the stores in these low income areas providing healthier options for the people that live in that town?  Why are the people in these area's coming down with more diseases caused by poor diet and and lack of quality foods?  Let's look at some statistics:

- Rates of food insecurity in 2004 were higher for households below the poverty line (36.8 percent), households with children headed by a single woman (33 percent), African-American households (23.7 percent) and Hispanic households (21.7 percent).

- A number of studies have demonstrated a strong association between food insecurity and obesity among low-income women.

- Food insecurity results in poor quality diets, compromised child and adult health, mental health problems and educational deficits among children.

Why does any of this matter?  It’s obvious that poverty exposes families to many issues beyond a lack of adequate nutrition, but in all honesty, what is more important that your health?  Well-nourished mothers are more likely to give birth to well-nourished children who will attend school earlier, learn more, postpone dropping out, have children later, give birth to healthier babies, earn more in their jobs, and be less likely to get diet-related  diseases in midlife.

Food insecurity remains a significant problem.  It results in considerable health, social, psychological, and behavioral consequences and is undeniably linked to poverty.  Despite high commitment, the number of these individuals remains unacceptably high.  Compare the attached maps for U.S. Poverty to the maps for the U.S. Stroke Belt, U.S. Diabetes and  U.S. Heart Disease.  I found them to be strikingly similar - did you?