Introductory Post

Imagine the sun’s rays beating down on your head. Sweat trickles down the back of your neck, as you squint desperately into the horizon. Your mouth is parched and you are desperately in need of a square meal. You are stuck in the middle of a desert…

…a food desert. A food desert is an area where access to affordable healthy food is a challenge. They were first identified in a study conducted in Scotland, defining industrialized areas prevalent in fast food vendors providing high-fat and nutrient-poor food [1]. Now, the term has expanded to cover both rural and urban areas, typically prevalent in low socio-economic status communities [2]. Residents in these communities face the challenge of having no grocery stores in the vicinity of their homes, with the additional barrier of not having access to their own vehicle. As a result, these residents often turn to the fast-food stores prevalent in their community as well neighbourhood corner stores offering very little healthy food, sold at high prices.

            As a 4^th year student in Applied Human Nutrition at Guelph, it comes to no surprise to me that people living in food deserts also face associated health and nutrition problems. With the consumption of high-fat nutrient poor food, and little to no healthy fruits and vegetables, also comes the well-known problems of malnutrition, obesity, cardiovascular disease and lack of knowledge about healthy food and nutrition.

            My mission in writing this blog is to explore some of the research that has been done on urban food deserts, the consequences in the community and the prevalence in Canada as well as in the Guelph-Wellington district where I go to school. I want to experience a small glimpse of what day to day meals and nutrition is like for someone living in these areas with no access to a grocery store. As part of my journey in writing this blog, I plan to shop exclusively at my corner store for a week, and examine the feasibility of eating a healthy diet. As well, I’d like to compare prices of some standard grocery items between an urban corner store and a typical grocery store.

            As I learn more about this modern day nutritional-paradox, I welcome any comments, additional information or personal experience any readers have to share. I hope to learn as much as I can about the issues of food deserts in my community and on a national-level, and explore ways to help overcome the problem.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to learning more!

-          Karoline