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‘Food Swamps’: Scientists Explain The Health Risks of Living Inside Them

You might have heard of food deserts, areas with few or no healthy food options or supermarkets within a short, walkable distance. Instead, these places are often filled with a glut of convenient takeaway stores, creating ‘food swamps’ that have dire health consequences for residents.
A new study from the US shows how food inequities writ large across the country translate to an increased risk of dying from obesity-related cancers, such as breast, bowel, and liver cancer.
Since the term ‘food deserts’ was coined in the early 1990s, some academics have questioned whether they exist. But in the decades since, numerous studies have revealed how social factors – largely determined by geography and public policies – influence health.
Wealthy, White neighborhoods in the US contain three to four more supermarkets than poor, Black suburbs do – limiting the latter’s choice of affordable fresh food, especially if public transit is lacking. But when fruits and vegetables are made available in local stores, real-world studies show residents are quick to pick them up.

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