Food deserts in Phoenix, AZ
How food deserts are affecting communities and the kind of food they consume.
According to the USDA, a food desert is a residential area that has limited access to large grocery stores or supermarkets. This can change what the people in that area eat by restricting their access to affordable healthy foods, leaving them to buy quick and cheap meals. The shortage of food resources causes many hot spots and leaves people at a higher risk of obesity and health complications due to weight. It is important to recognize and locate food deserts in order to help get the food resources out to people in that area.
The map in this section shows the location of several grocery stores in and around the city of Phoenix. The number of grocery stores and supermarkets are more concentrated the closer to the center of Phoenix. This gives the people downtown more resources and access to cheap and healthy food, but as you work your way out to the suburbs, the number of supermarkets is a lot less. With fewer stores further out, people in that area have to travel more in order to get the same resources. Because of this, many people in these areas resort to eating cheap, fast food instead of making the trip to the grocery store.
This map shows the average income for the area surrounding Phoenix. The white and blue areas represent families/areas of mid-higher income whereas the green areas show low income families/areas. With this added onto the map, you can see how the families in the low income areas have much fewer resources and cheap grocery options that are readily available. This, once again adds onto the reliance on cheap and fast food options, leading to a higher risk of obesity and weight related health complications.
The unemployment rate also has an unexpected impact on the access to grocery stores and supermarkets. In the map in this section, the yellow sections represent areas of low unemployment rates. The location of most of the grocery stores fall into these areas allowing quick and easy access for the people with jobs. Compared to the areas with higher unemployment rates have to travel further to get the same access for groceries.
Food deserts can be surprisingly hurtful to communities and the health of the people inside of them. The main issue with these areas is that it leaves families with less access to the necessary resources to eat a healthy diet. In the case of Phoenix, AZ, these food deserts are located in areas with lower income and higher unemployment, leading to people resorting to cheaper and more unhealthy foods, which leads to a higher risk of health complications.