Exploring The Geography Of Nutrition: Food Deserts & Food Swamps

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​Bridget Nolan

​A  food desert is an area that lacks or has limited access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods; they typically occur in urban or low-income areas. We’ve shared posts discussing multiple aspects of food deserts, such as: examining the effects of banning new fast-food restaurants, challenging long accepted theories surrounding food deserts, and evaluating how proximity to a supermarket may or may not lead to a healthier weight.

​While it was once generally accepted that food deserts contribute to the rate of overweight/obesity, more recent studies have found that new grocery stores and increased access to food did not cause significant improvements to BMI and self-reported health.  There was an increase in psychological health and “perceptions of food access” reported, but not the health outcomes that we would’ve once expected.

​Lately, in the ongoing conversation on access to food, research is exploring food swamps, areas that lack healthy food options and also have lots of unhealthy options, such as junk food and fast food. A study published in November 2017 evaluated obesity rates in various food swamps and found an association with adult obesity rates – the result we once expected to see when evaluating the impact of food deserts.

To counteract the health effects we see in food swamps, we should consider the types of food establishments available while also keeping in mind a number of other factors mentioned in the study such as racial and ethnic disparites in obesity and access to food, socioeconomic status, access to transportation, and availability of quality healthcare.  Often less healthy options are more affordable, and traveling further to find alternative options is challenging. The researchers also suggested that zoning laws that limit the number and location of “unhealthy food outlets” and encourage more “healthy food retailers” may counteract some of the negative health effects that are measured in food swamps.

​This study mostly provided food for thought. Studies must be done to determine if they can be effective. We need a greater understanding of how to creatively balance the number of various types of food retailers for a reasonable level of access and positive health outcomes. As one of the linked articles above mentions, banning fast food restaurants does not in and of itself improve diet quality or decrease overweight/obesity rates. The current study also notes that if some food retailers are banned and additional options are not established, there will simply be decreased access to food. The presence of health systems leaders, public officials, and food industry leaders is necessary to strike a balance between the availability of various food retailers and access to transportation to work toward reducing negative health outcomes.

​About the Author:
Bridget Nolan is a Senior Research Assistant in the Therapeutics Research and Infectious Disease Epidemiology (TIDE) group.  She joined the group in 2017 and has supported projects on medication use and health outcomes, surveillance, and software and infrastructure development.  Bridget enjoys traveling in her free time and taking trips to the waterfront or beaches outside the city.