Background:

Food prices have risen and are expected to continue increasing within the near
future. More specifically, healthy foods tend to be significantly more expensive compared
to conventional foods that are not as dense in nutritional value. As a result of this growing
price gap between more and less healthy foods, low-income communities face great
difficulties when it comes to accessing healthy foods due to problems associated with the
local distribution system and industrial food production (Shigley 1). With that being said,
healthy food costs pose a disadvantage to low-income communities both financially and
opportunistically. Regardless of income, the fact of the matter is that all Americans have
access to nutritious foods; however, price is the central issue that influences the decisions
food-purchasers, specifically in food desert environments, make in addition to other
circumstances such as transportation and distance. By definition, food desert
environments are low-income communities with limited access to healthy, affordable
foods that impose significant limitations upon low-income food-purchasers (Zachary et
al. 1). Due to the absence of fresh, healthy, and affordable food within food deserts, the
unhealthy foods that low-income people substitute for healthier choices are undoubtedly
due to the influence of other food stores and/or fast-food restaurants within that particular
area. To get a better idea of how severe this problem is, the Lets Move campaign,
announced by Michelle Obama, emphasizes,

Too many Americans live in communities with limited access to supermarkets and
grocery stores. Nationwide, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-

income areas that are more than a mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million,
just under half have incomes at or below 200% of the poverty line, and almost 1
million do not have access to a car. USDA estimates that 2.3 million people live in
low-income rural areas that are more than ten miles from a supermarket; and
again, just under half have low incomes. (49-50)

Not only does the affordability issue of healthy foods place a barrier against lowincome societies, but it also increases their chances of acquiring diet-related chronic
diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer (Carlson and Frazo 1).
Another factor that limits low-income communities access to healthy foods is the fact
that 80% of these people are unaware of what is actually in their food and the impact
these types of food have on their health (McElwee and Winter 3). The majority of the
American population consumes foods that do not meet the USDA guidelines. Moreover,
those who fall under the category of low income are more prone to experiencing struggles
with accessing foods that meet USDA guidelines that are essential to living a healthy
lifestyle. According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, the poverty
level for 2014 was set at $23,850 for a family of four. With that in mind, low income in
the United States falls considerably lower than that of the poverty line. According to
researchers, low-income families would have to spend approximately 30% of household
income on eating healthily, whereas high-income households needed to spend about
10% (Ward et al. 1). In contrast with food prices, other expenses such as transportation
and housing are examples of fixed costs. Food prices, on the other hand, are more
flexible. Due to this inconvenience, low-income families often compromise healthy food

options for certain, unhealthy foods that are inexpensive alternatives. However, when the
availability of healthy food, typically fresh produce, is open to low-income
neighborhoods, these foods are often of poorer quality compared to that of higher income
areas (Andreyeva, Long, and Brownell 1). As a result of these discrepancies, low-income
neighborhoods preferences for these types of foods eventually decrease. As we can see,
low-income people face challenges when trying to access healthy foods that are necessary
for the maintenance of a healthful diet. Therefore, it is crucial that this issue is addressed
immediately in order to prevent its effects. If this issue were to be ignored, low-income
communities would become extremely vulnerable to health issues related to their
consumption of unhealthy foods.
Solution:
Due to the severity of the issue that is associated with access to healthy foods by
low-income communities, it is crucial that this concern be addressed and resolved
immediately in order to avoid its potential negative effects upon those who fall under the
category of low income. It is certainly possible that the cause of this problem could be
derived from the lack of healthy food availability and the overabundance of unhealthy
food options among low-income communities. By increasing the availability of healthy
foods in supermarkets in addition to corner stores, the severity of this problem can be
decreased considerably. According to researchers, The majority of neighborhood
residents use supermarkets or super stores as their primary food source. Those who did
shop at corner stores typically purchased prepared foods and/or beverages making up
nearly one third of their daily energy intake (OMalley et al. 741). In addition,
increasing the amount of fresh produce sold in corner stores allows low-income

communities to gain access to healthier foods due to the fact that most individuals would
be likely to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables from the corner stores if these foods were
offered (OMalley et al. 741). Furthermore, low income populations have low rates of
car ownership and tend to rely on walking, public transportation or cars owned by others
to access grocery stores and other services (OMalley et al. 741). Therefore, it is feasible
that increasing the quantity of fresh produce in corner stores would provide low-income
communities the convenience of accessing healthy foods without having to rely on other
forms of transportation to get to a supermarket that may be located at a greater distance
than that of corner stores. This solution is definitely feasible in that it has the potential to
improve food desert environments merely by its presence.
Others may argue that simply increasing the amount of healthy foods sold in
corner stores as well as supermarkets is not necessarily the most effective method.
Authors Hee-Jung Song, Joel Gittelsohn, Miyong Kim, Sonali Suratkar, Sangita Sharma
and Jean Anliker argue, While corner store-based nutrition interventions have emerged
as a potential strategy to increase healthy food availability in low-income communities,
few evaluation studies exist (2060). One major factor that prevents low-income
communities from making healthier food purchases is cost. As an alternative, lowering
the price of healthy foods can definitely make a significant impact on the decisions that
food-purchasers make. There exists a correlation between price and behaviors associated
with food-purchasing decisions. More specifically, low-income communities are limited
to certain foods that fit their budgets/incomes; these types of foods are typically
unhealthy. Evidence proves that food choices are highly impacted by price. For example,
one cross-sectional survey from the USA based on a national sample of approximately

3000 adults, cost was the second most important influence after taste on peoples food
choices, while nutrition was considered only third in importance (Lee, Ralston and
Truby 248). In order to effectively provide low-income communities with greater access
to healthier foods, it is essential that we decrease price in hope that it will appeal to lowincome personnels in addition to providing them the benefits of a healthier diet/lifestyle.
On the contrary, some argue that low-income communities do have access to
sufficient amounts of healthy food options, however, the problem lies at the individual
level. A potential reason as to why healthy foods are often neglected by low-income
communities may be due to personal preferences and/or ignorance. In order to combat
this issue, utilizing the method of labeling food may be a probable solution. According to
researchers, Despite baseline differences in healthy food purchases, a simple colorcoded labeling and choice architecture intervention improved food and beverage choices
among employees from all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds (Levy et al. 240). By
color-labeling various foods as healthy and unhealthy, more low-income consumers will
be more inclined to purchase healthier selections. Furthermore, choice architecture is
another successful technique in that it purposefully rearranges the food items so as to
place the healthier options in more accessible areas and unhealthier selections in areas
where it is less accessible. Through the implementation of these two strategies, those with
low incomes can take advantage of the opportunity to access healthier foods with the
assistance of color-labeling food and choice architecture. Not only are these approaches
promising, but the way it was strategically designed to be simplistic, yet effective and
inexpensive, has the potential to be the prevalent method of increasing the amount of
healthy foods accessed/consumed by low-income communities. Nonetheless, some may

argue that this plan may have little effect on low-income consumers such that their
preferences remain fixed regardless of the influence from advertisement/presentation.
In other cases, low-income communities acknowledge the manipulative
perception that healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy foods. According to
authors Andrea Carlson and Elizabeth Frazo, Healthy foods are affordable, but there is
a considerable need for education and other mechanisms to make the healthy choice a
more desirable option (20). Typically, those who have higher incomes dedicate more
money toward food in comparison with those with lower incomes. However, this statistic
is not an indication that people with higher incomes purchase healthier foods. With that
being said, both low and high-income communities need improvements when it comes to
accessing healthy foods. In fact, Healthy foods are not necessarily more expensive than
less-healthy foods, but the way the price metric makes a difference in this perception
(Carlson and Frazo 30). As a result, consumers are forced to believe the false impression
that healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy foods, however, this may be due
to what they are told by experts, the media, personal experience, and perhaps their social
networks (Carlson Frazo 30). A simple solution to this problem could be through the
alteration of price metrics in order to clearly illustrate the affordability of healthy food.
Moreover, advertisement can be utilized to promote and encourage consumers to
purchase healthier foods with the mindset that it can also save them money. Overall, it is
important that consumers be informed of the false perception that is associated with the
affordability of healthy foods through the implementation of education in addition to
other tactics that will clarify some of the ambiguity and confusion. As a result, food-

purchasers, regardless of income, will gain the greater opportunity to access healthier
foods.
Conclusion:
It is necessary that we increase the availability of healthy food to low-income
communities in order to prevent the potential effects associated with a poor diet. Whether
it is through the implementation of healthy foods sold in corner stores or providing lowincome communities with the knowledge/education needed in an effort to reassure and
encourage their access to healthy food, the main goal is to provide and guarantee access
to a healthful diet. Idealistically, it would be especially effective if super stores, in
addition to corner stores, in low-income neighborhoods would provide healthy food
options within these food desert environments. The provision of proper nutrition to lowincome communities acts a barrier against chronic diet-related diseases thus resulting in a
healthier lifestyle. It is absolutely vital that feasible, yet affordable and effective,
mechanisms are instigated in a manner that will improve eating behaviors within lowincome communities thus alleviating the burden that comes with consuming unhealthy
alternatives to a wholesome diet.