Let Them Eat Ramen: How Eating Healthy Isnt Just for the Elite

The current trends for healthy eating are often accompanied by high price tags and ideas
of inaccessibility for those of medium or low-income. With the terms like vegan, locavore, and
organivore, many people assume that healthy and fresh produce is simply beyond their reach.
These misconceptions, along with a lack of access to quality food, have created a high
dependency on processed foods that is making lifestyle diseases prevalent in low-income areas.
The risk of lifestyle diseases can be easily reduced if the government and community become
more proactive in increasing the access to fresh fruit and vegetables to these communities. Being
able to obtain fresh and local food should not only be a privilege available only to the wealthy;
access to healthy and affordable food is a basic human right.
In his 2008 TEDTalk, Whats Wrong With What We Eat, Mark Bittman states that,
lifestyle diseases--diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers-- are diseases that are far more
prevalent here than anywhere in the rest of the world. And thats a direct result of eating a
Western diet. It has been proven that a Western diet high in processed foods is extremely
detrimental to everyone's health, but this has been found to be especially true for those who live
in low-income areas. Due to the lack of access and affordability of fresh produce, it can be
difficult to sustain a healthy diet without supplementing meals with processed foods. People who
are living in low-income neighborhoods are statistically more susceptible to developing lifestyle
diseases. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases are closely linked to
poverty. They state that, "Vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people get sicker and die sooner
than people of higher social positions, especially because they are at greater risk of being
exposed to harmful products, such as tobacco or unhealthy food, and have limited access to

health services," (Noncommunicable Diseases). These lifestyle driven diseases are mainly
derived from, "Unhealthy lifestyles like unhealthy diets [that] may show up in individuals as
raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids, overweight and obesity.
These are called 'intermediate risk factors' which can lead to cardiovascular disease,"
(Noncommunicable Diseases). Many of these diseases have been attributed to diets that rely
heavily on processed foods. These foods are often extremely high in sodium, fat, and sugars; all
of which are culprits in an unhealthy diet that leads to lifestyle diseases. The majority of
processed foods contain sodium far beyond what is considered to be the daily recommended
requirement. A diet consistent in high sodium can easily lead to high blood pressure and
cardiovascular problems. An unhealthy diet, including a high consumption of sugar can also lead
to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other obesity related diseases. People who are living
with food insecurity run the risk of becoming obese due to factors outside of their control.
The emotional and financial toll associated with food insecurity can lead to weight gain
caused by stress-induced hormonal and metabolic changes as well as unhealthful eating
behaviors, (Why Low-Income). Many parents often resort to feast or famine in order to ensure
that their children are able to eat. This sort of behavior can also influence poor eating habits and
impact a childs weight. According to the World Health Organization, an adequate consumption
of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk for many lifestyle diseases (Global Status Report). A
major step to reduce the percentage of lifestyle diseases in impoverished areas is to increase the
access and affordability of healthy food. Although increasing access to healthy food will not
completely solve the problem, it provides families an opportunity to choose fresh food and invest
in their health. As Mark Bittman states, You eat more plants, you eat less other stuff, you live
longer.

Many low-income neighborhoods have been developed in areas known as "food deserts."
This term is defined by the USDA as, a low income census tract where a substantial number or
share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store and have difficulty
accessing fresh food and vegetables (Ricketts). These areas are often characterized by an
overabundance of fast food and convenience stores referred to as a food swamp(Moors).
Families in these areas typically find themselves shopping at a nearby convenience store or
bodega that is closer to home, rather than traveling miles to the grocery store. According to the
USDA, Urban core areas with limited food access are characterized by higher levels of racial
segregation and greater income inequality. In small-town and rural areas with limited food
access, the lack of transportation infrastructure is the most defining characteristic, (Access to
Affordable). Lack of transportation can also be a defining factor in many urban settings if access
to grocery stores is limited to the availability of public transportation. Even for those who arent
struggling every day to make ends meet, where to buy groceries usually becomes a factor of
distance and price.
Another significant influence on the diet of low-income families has been the
disproportionate marketing that encourages the consumption of fast food and highly sugared
beverages (Why Low-Income). This is not surprising since the U.S. Government has allowed big
agriculture to control the nations food supply. These companies spend billions of dollars a year
to market unhealthy food and sustain their business without consideration for the health of the
consumer. Ann Cooper states that, Its because of the way the government commodifies food,
and the cheap corn and cheap soy that are pushed into our food supply that makes these nonnutrient foods really, really cheap. Which is why I say its a social justice issue, (Cooper).

In 2010, the Obama Administration created the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI),
which invested $400 million dollars into expanding grocery stores and other food retailers into
food deserts (Healthy Food Financing). While box stores such as Wal-Mart have taken this
initiative to target their expansion into food deserts, building grocery stores in these areas does
not automatically solve the problem. To consider accessibility to healthy food, one must also take
into account the cost. If fresh produce is made available at too high a cost, it is still considered
out of reach. Recently on The Salt, Tracie McMillan highlighted the problem of building large
box stores in food deserts since they also carry a large quantity of processed foods. These
products are high in salt, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other preservatives and chemicals,
and low in price. Dalia Stern, a researcher at the Carolina Population Center stated that, We
cant assume that because a store is bigger and stocks healthy and unhealthy products, that
[people] are going to choose the healthy products, (McMillian). Although these stores are part
of the problem, we must also hold them accountable to be part of the solution. As demonstrated
from the statistic of store growth from 1994 to 2015, Wal-Mart increased from 68 stores to 3,288
(McMillian). In Jamie Olivers TedTalk Teach Every Child About Food, Oliver lectures on the
importance of instilling healthy, sustainable habits in children at a young age. He points out that
fast food companies have weaned us on to these hits of sugar, salt and fat, and x, y, and z, and
everyone loves them...these guys are going to be part of the solution.
What produce is affordable is usually of poor quality, so families choose to purchase
processed foods that will help to stretch the grocery budget. "Lower-income families choose
sugary, fat, and processed foods because they're cheaper-and because they taste good," (Miller).
In a study done by the University of Washington, it was reported that those struggling to make
ends meet are more likely to choose junk food over vegetables. This is because not only are the

empty calories cheaper, but the healthy foods are becoming more and more expensive.
Vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury goods, (Parker-Pope). Families are faced
with the priority of buying low cost foods that are guaranteed to fill their stomachs, but are not
necessarily health conscious. Tiffiney Davis, a single mother of two kids, struggles to make ends
meet on a grocery budget of only $100 a week in New York City. In her article What Food Says
About Class in America, Lisa Miller describes Tiffineys struggle to feed her family on an
extremely limited budget. "Davis doesn't buy fruits and vegetables mostly because they're too
expensive, and in the markets where she usually shops, they're not fresh."I buy bananas and
bring them home and 10 minutes later they're no goodWhole Foods sells fresh, beautiful
tomatoes," she says. "Here, they're packaged and full of chemicals anyway. So I mostly buy
canned foods," (Miller). Urban farmer and CEO of Growing Power Inc., Will Allen indicated
that, A lot of it has to do with lack of access. If you can only access fast food, if you can only
access high-sugar, high-salt content foods, were going to have an unhealthy population,
(Desmond-Harris). This is true for all populations, but especially those who are forced to rely
heavily on unhealthy food simply due to a lack of availability.
Unfortunately, the difficulty accessing fresh and healthy food has only gotten worse.
Foods that will decrease health issues that are related to lifestyle diseases are becoming
increasingly out of reach for many living in the lower income brackets. Health cannot be a top
priority when there is a daily struggle to simply feed your family. Adam Drewnowski, an
epidemiologist at the University of Washington published a paper that, "showed how the prices
of specific foods changed between 2004 and 2008 based on data from Seattle-area supermarkets.
While food prices overall rose about 25 percent, the most nutritious foods (red peppers, raw
oysters, spinach, mustard greens, romaine lettuce) rose 29 percent, while the least nutritious

foods (white sugar, hard candy, jelly beans, and cola) rose just 16 percent," (Miller). Foods that
are highly processed, that are high in fat content and plentiful in high fructose corn syrup is
marketed as a convenient and affordable option for low-income and working families.
Drewnowski notes that, "In Americafood has become the premier marker of social
distinctionsIt used to be clothing and fashion, but no longer, now that 'luxury' has become
affordable and available to all," (Miller). At some point the idea of eating fresh and healthy food
has become fashionable, thus creating a mentality that it is only available to those of a certain
class. The idea of class separation in food choices becomes even more apparent when comparing
the cost of feeding a family on a minimum wage income. Given the choice between spending a
paycheck for groceries at Whole Foods, or picking up McDonalds for only a couple dollars, the
choice seems simple. While this decision can be typical of many families, it demonstrates the
increasing strain in the relationship between income and food accessibility.
In America, the chasm between food and class has increased steadily as the gap between
the wealthy and poverty level has widened. 17 percent of Americans-more than 50 million
people-live in households that are food insecure, a term that means a family sometimes runs
out of money to buy food, or it sometimes runs out of food before it can get more money,
(Miller). Although the government states that there is only a small percentage of Americans who
are actually hungry, the reality is that as of 2012 forty-nine million Americans lived in food
insecure households (Hunger & Poverty Statistics). When families are forced to budget, often
healthy food becomes one of the first casualties. When families try to save money by eating less,
the meals that they eat become less expensive and are less nutritious. Community organizer Jabir
Suluki states that, You cant force junk on people and then criticize it at the same time.

Families that are forced to turn to forms of government assistance often buy processed
foods as a way of stretching what little funds they have. Part of this problem is the many
restrictions that are enforced by the government on these food assistance programs. Many foods
are extremely limited and government assistance programs allow high sugar juices, but limit
access to fresh produce. Just recently in February 2014, the WIC program made necessary
changes that will increase access to fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy,
(USDA Finalizes Changes). These are the first changes in thirty years for this essential program
that provides nutritional support to low-income mothers and young children. Suluki sees the
web of problems before us-hunger, obesity, health-as something for the community to solve. We
cant just attack this problem as individuals...A healthy community produces healthy people,
(Miller). Many people understand that all communities are interconnected and can only become
stronger through strengthening its weak points. However, there are some who see investments in
projects to increase community health as a financial burden that should be avoided.
There are many arguments against the idea that lifestyle diseases are a result of the lack
of access to fresh food. Even more so, these opponents indicate that these diseases are a direct
result of lifestyle choices that have little to do with a poor diet. A recently published article
revealed that thirty percent of the world is now overweight or obese. In a study from the Institute
of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, leading researcher
Christopher Murray states that, There was a strong link between income and obesity; as people
get richer, their waistlines also tend to start bulging...scientists have noticed accompanying
spikes in diabetes and that rates of cancers linked to weight, like pancreatic cancer, are also
rising, (Cheng). From this research, it can be argued that the lack of income has little to do with
lifestyle diseases. However, it is difficult to ignore the statistic of increasing obesity around the

world. It can be argued that with an initial investment in programs to promote a healthy lifestyle,
it is possible to avoid even more costly solutions in the future. Although some may argue about
the high cost related to initially funding these projects, the economic payoff will more than cover
these costs. By limiting the number of people who will develop lifestyle diseases, we will in fact
be investing in lower health care costs for our future. With fewer people relying on the medical
system for preventable diseases, we will lower the cost of insurance premiums for everyone.
According to The Center for Disease Control, by 2050, one out of every three adults in the U.S.
will have diabetes. This is an extremely grim prediction for the future of many children who have
yet to be born. In 2007, the costs related to diabetes totaled $174 billion (Diabetes). Forty years
from now, with one in every three people being treated for diabetes the cost will be astronomical!
The WHO's director-general Dr. Margaret Chan bluntly stated that, "Our children are getting
fatterParts of the world are quite literally eating themselves to death," (Cheng). In their 2009
report, the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Congress that,
Easy access to all food, rather than lack of access to specific healthy foods, may be a more
important factor in explaining increases in obesity, (Access to Affordable). Although there
certainly are multiple factors that are involved in determining the relationship between income
levels and health, it seems as though the government is hesitant to pinpoint what the exact
problem is. It seems that just as with the Western diet, it is too profitable for the big companies
involved to advocate for too much change. Unfortunately, much of the United States government
is supported by big agriculture and pharmaceutical companies. Since it seems that the state of our
nations health is only growing worse, it is up to the people to create change. The solution is to
put an end to this cycle of destruction by making sure that fresh and healthy food is abundant and
readily available to everyone.

Creating change is never easy, but there are already many organizations around the
United States that have been successfully increasing the access to fresh food in low-income
communities. Will Allens urban farm Growing Power is a prime example of the multiple
benefits available to a community through urban farming. Allen has made it his mission to
provide people in the inner city with fresh and affordable food while also having a positive
relationship with his community. Since establishing his farm in 1995, Allen has expanded his
organization to 35 full-time employees and 1,000 volunteers [who] use sustainable agricultural
practices to grow 159 kinds of fruit, vegetables, and edible flowers. They also raise honeybees,
fish, poultry, sheep, and goats, (Cullotta). Not only does Allens farm provide fresh vegetables
in the middle of a food desert, but his program has created learning opportunities for at-risk
youth and former inmates who he believes deserve a second chance. Allen has developed a
system to grow his own soil through a combination of worms and waste materials that are
collected from urban life. By doing so he is able to revitalize empty plots of land that have been
contaminated by industrial pollution. He has also created an ecosystem that uses water from
tilapia tanks to irrigate his vegetables as well as fertilize the plants. The fish from these tanks are
also sold to local restaurants and available to purchase as part of his plan to provide affordable
and healthy food for the community. Food justice and dismantling food racism is at the heart of
much of what Growing Power does, by making good, healthy food accessible where it isnt
generally found, (Moors). With patience and a lot of dedication, the blueprint of Allens work
can be easily duplicated in many cities around the country.
Another successful organization is the Just Garden Project based in Seattle, Washington.
They believe that it is possible to heal our communities, By supporting individuals to take
control of their food and their health [by working] one-on-one with low income residents to help

them gain self-sufficiency and empowerment surrounding their food, (Just Garden Project).
Through programs such as this, it is possible to support residents of low-income communities
and help them take control over their own health. Through the success demonstrated by their
program it is reported that 92% of participants were consuming more vegetables than before they
had a garden, they saw a 29% decrease of reliance on food banks, and 70% of gardeners were
getting their children involved in gardening (Just Garden Project). What I believe is key to this
process is getting the involvement of the entire family by first educating and inspiring the
children. When children understand where food comes from and learn how to grow their own
food, they will gain a new found respect for their food. Not only that but they are more likely to
experiment and try new and healthy foods that will help break the cycle of dependency on
processed foods. According to Michael Pollan, Populations that eat a so-called Western dietgenerally defined as a diet consisting of lots of processed foods and meal, lots of added
sugar...lots of everything except vegetables...invariably suffer from high rates of the so-called
Western diseases: obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, (Pollan xii).
Pollan also suggests that people who stop eating a Western diet of processed foods see a sudden
and drastic change in their health. It seems that much of the lifestyle diseases that plague lowincome populations can be directly attributed to the Western diet. By increasing access and
affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables it is possible to reduce the effects or even reverse
these lifestyle diseases.
The appearance of lifestyle diseases being diagnosed in the United States are increasing
at an alarming rate. Much of this is due to unhealthy eating habits that can be easily reversed
through healthy eating and a lifestyle change. While this change may be easy for those who can
afford it, many people that have been affected dont have the means to prioritize their health. By

increasing the accessibility of healthy and fresh foods to low-income neighborhoods we can
make feeding families and focusing on health an equal priority. As Will Allen says, I want to be
part of the revolution that changes how we grow, distribute and eat food so that the process is
healthier for people and the planet...Food doesnt just sustain our bodies-it can heal them.

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