Healthy oasis: The first lady makes a case for good-food access
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Most Americans take well-stocked groceries and supermarkets for granted. Because accessibility to good and nutritious food is considered an essential part of American society, such stores are at the heart of most communities.
Still, nearly 24 million Americans live in "food deserts," low-income areas where people have to travel more than a mile to the nearest full-service grocery.
Food deserts can have an adverse effect on the health of children and young people. Although Americans are generally overweight, communities where access to fresh food, vegetables and fruit is problematic have higher-than-average obesity rates. An estimated 6.5 million children live in food deserts.
That's why providing incentives for grocery stores and supermarkets to locate in underserved communities has become an essential element of first lady Michelle Obama's healthy foods/anti-obesity initiative.
In a ceremony at the White House last week, the first lady announced that as a result of a public-private partnership, Wal-Mart, Walgreen and Supervalu will expand into urban and rural areas considered to be food deserts. Together, the retailers plan to open 1,500 stores that will provide not only thousands of jobs, but also healthier food options for 9.5 million people.
Mrs. Obama made the case for federal loans, grants and tax credits that encourage the construction of such stores and she applauded the Shop 'N Save in Ambridge for quadrupling the size of its produce section in two years. The store benefited from a 2009 state grant that was a small part of the $120 million Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative that funded 88 similar projects across the state.
Shop 'N Save, a subsidiary of Supervalu, is collaborating with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Urban Redevelopment Authority to build a much-needed grocery in the Hill District. While the store's opening, sometime before Thanksgiving, will eliminate one food desert, others remain around the country. Fortunately, these retailers, with a little public help, are willing to provide an oasis of healthy food choices.
First Published July 27, 2011 12:00 am
