The Relationship Between Socio-Economic Status and Poor Health: Implications of “The Diabetes Belt”

 The City Market in the Charlottesville, VA community is a vibrant and lively source of fresh food . Research data that I helped to collect this past summer shows that while the Market provides a variety of fruits, vegetables, and prepared goods, these products are not being utilized by the community as a whole. It was found that the majority of market customers are overwhelmingly white and earn an annual income of $100,000 or more. The findings made me realize that minority community members not only face barriers to accessing the City Market, but fresh and nutritious foods in general.

 Unfortunately, the issue of access to healthy foods for minority and low-income populations is not limited to the Charlottesville area.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention created a map (that visually represents the distribution of diabetes across the U.S.  This map has revealed a section in the Southeast that has been deemed “the diabetes belt” and includes areas with especially high occurrences of diabetes. While regional implications contribute to the location of the belt, further research conducted by Patchwork Nation has revealed that race, socio-economic, and cultural issues have more prominent correlations to the presence of high levels of diabetes.  The two Patchwork Nation communities most heavily represented in the diabetes belt are Minority Central (largely African American populations) and Evangelical Epicenters (older, socially conservative populations).

 The high prevalence of diabetes in Minority Central and Evangelical Epicenters can be connected to the low presence of affordable and nutritious food in these communities. 5.9% of Minority Central and 4.2% of Evangelical Epicenter households are considered to be located in food deserts. Lack of access to healthy options and limited money for food forces these populations to rely on fast food restaurants and pre-packaged processed items for sustenance. Poor food choices lead to the health issues discussed above as well as obesity. Additionally, the income of these populations has been decreasing since the 1980’s, making them unable to address their poor health and afford nutritious foods.

 It is evident that limited access to affordable nutritious food creates a vicious cycle for low-income minority communities. Their socio-economic status makes them more susceptible to living in food deserts, which puts them at a higher risk for health issues and limits the funds they can use to address these issues. Even in a city like Charlottesville where there is a plethora of food options, these populations struggle to follow a healthy lifestyle. Strengthening nutritious eating in our nation has been made a priority of the first lady. However, a larger focus on economic development and health care options for the most vulnerable populations will be needed to see positive change. 

 A map of “The Diabetes Belt” as defined by the CDC.

Source: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhrenhtKfm1qd9bz1o1_500.jpg

Guest Contributor: Erica Stratton

 

 

 

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I agree with Erica’s assessment of our failures to provide widespread access to healthy foods. As a nation, we’ve done a terrible job of feeding ourselves recently. As she points out, the problem is not limited to food deserts in our megacities, but in rural America and small cities too. We even see discrepancies in access to healthy food right here in our own local food Mecca of Charlottesville. I think the issue goes beyond the need for access to healthy foods. If all are to enjoy health foods, we will need to change social norms and alter our food supply system.

There’s a common assumption that access to healthy foods is a simple issue to address. It’s assumed that if granted access to fresh produce and the financial means to purchase it, everyone would buy whole foods and cook healthy foods from scratch. But that simply is not the case. Access to healthy foods does not ensure a change in lifestyle, but merely allows for one. In communities where the local McDonald’s is a community hang out, or the corner store is the place to meet-up, strong efforts will have to be made to change behavior. Once healthy foods are made accessible, an educational component must be put in place to teach the importance of healthy eating and offer instruction on how to prepare healthy foods.

At the root of the issue is our food supply system, which has left us with an abundance of cheap, nutrient-poor foods. Junk foods and fresh produce are hardly on an even playing field in our supermarkets. If we want to make healthy foods more financially accessible, we’ll need to restructure our system of farm subsidies. These subsidies have lead to huge yields of corn and soy (used largely to make high-calorie, low-nutrient foods), and relatively small yields of fruits and vegetables, which under the Farm Bill are deemed “specialty crops.” What the government is telling to eat and what it is providing us are grossly misaligned.

It is important that we increase access to healthy foods. But to ensure that people actually eat healthy foods, we need to increase food education programs and restructure our food supply system.

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