The Off Topic Topic

[Josquius]

If you have to walk a mile to get vegetables it stands to reason you won't do this very often when you can buy non perishable cans just down the street.
This has always been my problem with eating healthy. It isn't every day that I get the time to go shopping, and veggies go bad fast.

[Maladict]

If you have to walk a mile to get vegetables it stands to reason you won't do this very often when you can buy non perishable cans just down the street.
This has always been my problem with eating healthy. It isn't every day that I get the time to go shopping, and veggies go bad fast.

Sounds more like laziness to me 

Walking a mile only takes 15-20 minutes, riding a bike brings it down to about 5 minutes. Work it into your commute home and it takes next to no time at all.

[grumbler]

Who has studied the problem and reported that "food deserts have a lot do to with incomes not being high enough to purchase real food"?

From the very study you linked

In this report, we examine the socioeconomic
and demographic characteristics of these tracts to see how they differ from other census
tracts and the extent to which these differences influence food desert status. Relative to
all other census tracts, food desert tracts tend to have smaller populations, higher rates
of abandoned or vacant homes, and residents who have lower levels of education, lower
incomes, and higher unemployment. Census tracts with higher poverty rates are more
likely to be food deserts than otherwise similar low-income census tracts in rural and in
very dense (highly populated) urban areas. For less dense urban areas, census tracts with
higher concentrations of minority populations are more likely to be food deserts, while
tracts with substantial decreases in minority populations between 1990 and 2000 were
less likely to be identified as food deserts in 2000.

Who has studied the problem and reported that "food deserts have a lot do to with incomes not being high enough to purchase real food"?

By definition, food deserts are poor.  This study does not show that food deserts exist because people don't have the money to buy "real food."  There are a number of factors at work.

[grumbler]

So grumbsy, what is the difference in demand and what's causing it?

Well, Threesby, that's the question, innit?  The strongest correlation seems to be the negative one between obesity and education. 

[derspiess]

How is that a troll?

Really, poor people have different taste buds?  Rich people have some super special gene they acquire from their bank accounts that makes them immune from craving the salt sugar and fat junk food is laced with?

This is a really bizarre angle for you to argue.  Are you seriously telling me that different groups of people can't have different preferences for food?

[DGuller]

How is that a troll?

Really, poor people have different taste buds?  Rich people have some super special gene they acquire from their bank accounts that makes them immune from craving the salt sugar and fat junk food is laced with?

This is a really bizarre angle for you to argue.  Are you seriously telling me that different groups of people can't have different preferences for food?

They can, if you define groups by the type of cuisine they prefer.  When you're trying to assign different dietary preferences to groups that are defined by seemingly unrelated factors, though, some scrutiny of that claim is called for.

[Eddie Teach]

It's like the black people like fried chicken and watermelon thing. Sure, but so do white people. Probably some Asians too.

[crazy canuck]

Who has studied the problem and reported that "food deserts have a lot do to with incomes not being high enough to purchase real food"?

From the very study you linked

In this report, we examine the socioeconomic
and demographic characteristics of these tracts to see how they differ from other census
tracts and the extent to which these differences influence food desert status. Relative to
all other census tracts, food desert tracts tend to have smaller populations, higher rates
of abandoned or vacant homes, and residents who have lower levels of education, lower
incomes, and higher unemployment. Census tracts with higher poverty rates are more
likely to be food deserts than otherwise similar low-income census tracts in rural and in
very dense (highly populated) urban areas. For less dense urban areas, census tracts with
higher concentrations of minority populations are more likely to be food deserts, while
tracts with substantial decreases in minority populations between 1990 and 2000 were
less likely to be identified as food deserts in 2000.

Who has studied the problem and reported that "food deserts have a lot do to with incomes not being high enough to purchase real food"?

By definition, food deserts are poor.  This study does not show that food deserts exist because people don't have the money to buy "real food."  There are a number of factors at work.

I see the problem now.  You are mixing up the definition of a food desert, which is defined by the USDA as areas "vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods" with the areas where that usually occurs which is poor areas.

See the USDA link I first posted.  It appears you did not bother to read it.

[crazy canuck]

How is that a troll?

Really, poor people have different taste buds?  Rich people have some super special gene they acquire from their bank accounts that makes them immune from craving the salt sugar and fat junk food is laced with?

This is a really bizarre angle for you to argue.  Are you seriously telling me that different groups of people can't have different preferences for food?

That is not my argument.  Of course different groups.  But your argument ignores all the data that food deserts occur in poor areas. There seems to be a much better explanation for why poor people don't eat healthy food than they don't like it - they don't have access to it.

[derspiess]

Or maybe they don't want it.  If they wanted it, someone would be willing to set up shop and sell it to them.

[crazy canuck]

Or maybe they don't want it.  If they wanted it, someone would be willing to set up shop and sell it to them.

Naw, they probably just like being poor.  If they wanted to be rich they would work harder.  Isn't that the logic of your worldview?

Have you ever considered that maybe just maybe there are food deserts because fresh fruits and vegetables cost more than many in the local populations in food deserts can afford?

[Grey Fox]

Or maybe they don't want it.  If they wanted it, someone would be willing to set up shop and sell it to them.

There use to be one, maybe multiple shops but than Walmart came along & drove them out of business & now that Walmart is closing. That is one way how new food deserts are created there is probably other ways.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/09/what-happened-when-walmart-left

[Valmy]

That is something I noticed in areas where Toys R Us came in a few decades ago and killed all the toy stores. Then Toys R Us went out of business. Now there are just not any toy stores at all.

So I can certainly see Walmart doing something different with...well...basically everything else.

[Eddie Teach]

That is something I noticed in areas where Toys R Us came in a few decades ago and killed all the toy stores. Then Toys R Us went out of business. Now there are just not any toy stores at all.

I don't think toys are a regular enough purchase that getting to the nearest Wal-Mart would be prohibitive.

[Josquius]

If you have to walk a mile to get vegetables it stands to reason you won't do this very often when you can buy non perishable cans just down the street.
This has always been my problem with eating healthy. It isn't every day that I get the time to go shopping, and veggies go bad fast.

Sounds more like laziness to me 

Walking a mile only takes 15-20 minutes, riding a bike brings it down to about 5 minutes. Work it into your commute home and it takes next to no time at all.

And when are you going to find this 20 minutes to walk to the shop that closes at 7 when you just got off work at 6.30?