Healthy and affordable food choices on the go or even just in the store is a huge and worldwide ongoing problem that of course cannot be fixed overnight. To help start and put one foot forward to improvements in the availability of healthy food options and choices in lower income neighborhoods, we as a community and a whole should do the following.
Many different methods could be tried to help improve the problem. This is simply because one method may not work as well as the other. As Denis Waitley says “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”
For example, we can try to advertise health food choices better at fast food place and give the consumer health facts on the food, open up health food restaurant locations in lower income neighborhoods, or lower the healthy food choice in the neighborhood grocery store.
When a person walks into a restaurant the first thing that catches the eye on the menu may be the Chefs special, the cheapest option, the big and juicy deluxe combo, or the deal of the day. The healthier options are usually sitting on the side of the menu and may not even get noticed by a customer if they’re not paying attention. They usally would have the healthy choices in small or plain lettering with no picture. This is not going to catch the same attention as the other less health foods that are clearly placed front and center with realistic pictures that look like it right in your face, bright and bold colors, and usually cheaper depending on the meal and
Personal health is extremely important to everyone around the world. But it is especially important to citizens of the United States of America. Being one of the leading countries in Health technology and also in food and beverage leaves most people choosing between living a healthy lifestyle and indulging in the varieties of food we offer. Across the country, many people are living with pre-existing conditions, living in food deserts, living below the poverty line and a long list of other factors that either hinders them from eating healthy or force them to eat healthily. When trying to live a healthy lifestyle in this country not only does the promotion of prevention matter, but also the promotion of Career and job opportunities matter just as much. In the United States, Money equals Power and money also equal the opportunity to create and live a healthier lifestyle.
Many in the U.S., today, try to eat well,balanced, meals to order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They do so by purchasing their food at farmers markets or making their own meals, so their food isn’t processed or genetically modified. Even though people are trying to maintain health in order to live long lives, without medical complications, many don’t have the opportunity to pursue life like this. In “Research shows food deserts more abundant in minority neighborhoods,” the author, Kelly Brooks, portrays an anecdote and logical reasoning, from Kelly Bower’s research, to thoroughly describe the food deserts in poor minority neighborhoods and how this issue needs to be repaired.
An important issue for Today is how can we make people pick the best nutritional option because giving the poor easy access to healthy food doesn’t mean they’ll buy It. For example, “In 2010, the Morrisania section of the Bronx
Although many of the towns people do not have the knowledge to make healthy meals, Obama’s “Let’s Cook” video series can inform families on how to cook affordable, healthy, fast and easy meals. The video series can only work if the word gets out into the community. Since kids in Manchester are active on the internet, doing something as simple as advertising at the local school or holding a school wide meeting could inform students about Obama’s “Let’s Cook” campaign. Having a mandatory parent meeting could also assist in getting the word out about the campaign. Families like the Robinson could benefit immensely from this campaign. Scott Robinson is a single father rising his two daughters. His daughters know all the fast food restaurants and their menus, giving the impression they eat out quite often. Being a single father, it is hard for Scott to make healthy and nutritious meals on a budget. Promoting the web series, cannot force families to buy healthy
Zinczenko shares his personal story about how fast-food restaurants such as Taco Bell and McDonald’s led to a weight problem during his high-school years. He claims that the ease of accessibility and lack of healthy alternatives make it all too easy to fall into the cycle of unhealthy eating. Zinczenko also contends that the lack of nutrition labels on fast-food products leaves the consumer in the dark about what he or she is actually consuming. At the time Zinczenko wrote his article, fast-food restaurants were not willingly disclosing nutritional values of their products. Today this has changed. Fast-food companies, including McDonald’s, have put the full nutritional information of their products directly on the packaging and wrappers. All other fast-food establishments either post it on the menu board (Panera), offer easy access to pamphlets containing all nutritional information of their menu in store, or have it easily accessible online (Taco Bell, KFC). I am sure that this is a helpful step forward toward educating the public as to what they are consuming, but has this new knowledge to consumers had a dramatic change toward ending obesity? No. People have always known that eating a Big Mac and fries with the giant soft drinks that McDonald’s and other chains offer is not healthy; putting the nutritional labels on these items has done little to nothing to stop people from eating these high-calorie meals. This again leads back to the point that people as consumers need to be more accountable to themselves and stop blaming others for what they willingly choose to put in their
Food deserts are places where healthy foods are not produced nor sold. Unfortunately, Chicago is filled with food deserts. Approximately 600,000 people reside in areas that consist of food deserts (Gallagher, 2006). Nearly 200,000 of those people are children. These children do not have the opportunity for healthier options, which shows an increase in obesity rates (News One Staff, 2011). There are 77 Chicago communities and out of that 77, 23 are food deserts (Gallagher, 2006). Chicagoans-particularly the black communities- are forced to live off the accessible food that is near them. The food deserts are in Austin, North Lawndale, Armour Square, Near South Side, Fuller Park, Grand Boulevard, Washington Park, Woodlawn, West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Beverly, Washington Heights, Morgan Park, Roseland, Pullman, South Deering, Riverdale, South Chicago, and West Pullman (Grossinger, 2007). The communities are usually served by junk food- filled corner stores, which do not offer an abundance of healthy foods. The communities are in desperate need of change.
Eating nutritious food may seem simple enough, but to those that hardly get by financially, affording healthy foods can be a major hindrance. This is proven by Dr. Jim Levine, a researcher with a concentration of the link between poverty and obesity. He is quoted stating, “In many poverty-dense regions, people are… unable to access affordable healthy food, even when funds avail.” (Sifferlin 1) For example, further studies show that the average cost of salad is $1.50 more than the average cost of a hamburger. Getting vitamins and minerals from the food we eat is substantial to survive in everyday life. Annually, it costs five hundred and fifty dollars more to eat healthier. Five hundred and fifty dollars may not seem like much, but to those that have low income, it is a crucial amount. While achieving a healthy diet proves to be necessary to maintain a healthy weight, it is almost inaccessible for those with low income. Low-income individuals confront the barrier of the cost of healthier choices in their everyday
1. How can we as a community improve better eating habits in our neighborhoods in
This campaign, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, is aimed to solve the challenge of obesity in this generation’s children (“Let’s Move”). This campaign targets, not just the families, but also schools and communities to improve the environment for children to strive and become healthier. Starting with the family, the program discusses the important fact that children will eat better if they are surrounded by healthier food. Having the parents modeling good behavior and eating the healthier food influences the children and they too will eat the healthier food. They also include tips for how to eat healthier such as mixing vegetables into dishes, substituting fat-free milk or water instead of soda or other sweeter beverages, and substituting desserts for fruit, saving the “treats” for special occasions. In addition, eating as a family is seen to help with obesity because it creates structure in eating and decreases the snacking children have throughout the day (“Let’s Move”). In regards to school, by having the children participate in the National School Lunch Program, as well as the School Breakfast Program, the children are able to have a nutritious meal at a reduced cost or even free. Having options, such as a salad bar, and multiple options for children to choose from that are not just healthy but also delicious, will also help children see that eating healthy is not as atrocious as they perceived. Lastly, with the community in mind, the program, along with the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, is providing financing to develop grocery stores, farmers markets and corner stores capable of supplying and selling healthy food in underserved communities to eliminate food deserts. Many markets are even participating in WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and the
In the book Fast Food Nation: The Darks Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser claims that fast food impacts more than our eating habits, it impacts “…our economy, our culture, and our values”(3) . At the heart of Schlosser’s argument is that the entrepreneurial spirit —defined by hard work, innovation, and taking extraordinary risks— has nothing to do with the rise of the fast food empire and all its subsidiaries. In reality, the success of a fast food restaurant is contingent upon obtaining taxpayer money, avoiding government restraints, and indoctrinating its target audience from as young as possible. The resulting affordable, good-tasting, nostalgic, and addictive foods make it difficult to be reasonable about food choices, specifically in a fast food industry chiefly built by greedy executives.
...ance, there needs to be organizations that limit food advertising; just as was done with cigarettes. Even though it is evident that fast-food companies are winning the marketing battle, their success depends solely on their returning customers. Should people stop eating the tempting fast food, and start making time in their day for exercise, not only would fast food companies suffer greatly, but we might have a chance to veer away from our heavy fates. Most importantly, media productions that educate people on the truths of the fast food industry should continue to focus on the risks and consequences of obesity, particularly on groups most susceptible to targeting from fast-food companies? marketing campaigns: minorities and children. With increased education and a pro-active stance on regular exercise, people can start to reverse the trend of obesity in America.
American citizens economic standing plays a role in the what foods they buy, where they buy, and their accessibility to buy. According to the United States Department of Agriculture an estimated twenty-three and a half million people live in a “food desert”. which is an urban or rural community that has little to no access to fresh food distributors such as a supermarket or farmers market. A lot of times these communities only food options are convenience stores and fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds and 7-Eleven, that...
Take a second to understand why fast food firms choose to sell products that are unhealthy. Their unhealthy products are in a high demand in the food market; in fact, they are simply giving us what we demand for. Most firms have started putting food labels on their menus so there is no room for excuse when making the right food choices. Nobody is forcing us to eat a whole box of Krispy crème donuts or a super-size meal at McDonalds. I believe that we are always looking for shortcuts in life and now we can anticipate there is a shortcut in what we put into our bodies. So we are consistently after things that are cheap, fast and affordable. Who better to attend to our needs than the fast food industry?
The United States Department of Agriculture has produced an interactive map which highlights areas of low income and low access to healthy food. As you can see in Figure 2, the problem persists throughout the country across cities and rural areas. The map provided as...
Especially if they are a full-time employee, full-time student, or a full-time parent. It’s a lot of work! Planning a healthy meal requires planning in advance. Many rely on grabbing something quick for the convenience of time. There should be more options for people to choose from in order to have something healthy. If the time allows prepare a healthy meal.