The Devastating Consequences of Unequal 食物 Access

Diabetes rates in the United States have nearly quadrupled over the past three decades. 关于 30 million people currently suffer from diabetes, and nearly 95 percent of these cases are type 2 diabetes, 与饮食有关的疾病. If recent trends continue, close to one-third of the population could be diabetic by 2050. Untreated or poorly managed diabetes can lead to devastating and sometimes fatal complications: diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

高糖饮食, 盐, 脂肪和低纤维, 维生素, 和矿物质, 比如水果, 蔬菜, and whole grains—increase the risk for type 2 diabetes. But what people eat is largely dependent on their access to vari­ous foods. 获取健康食品很复杂, and includes the physi­cal environment (geographic proximity, 食品零售商的运输, and availability); the economic environment (affordabili­ty); and the sociocultural environment (cultural taste preferences). Race and income are highly correlated with healthy food access—and with diabetes rates.