The United States Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as:
(1) low income census tract (poverty rate >= 20%; median family income <= 80% of the median family income of the area)
(2) >= 33% of population are remote from the nearest grocery store (> 1 mile in an urban area, > 10 miles in a rural area)
Places at risk for having a food desert:
(1) urban ghetto
(2) remote rural location
(3) any impoverished area
The desert may involve:
(1) absence of food stores
(2) food stores with limited access to components of a healthy diet (fruits, vegetables, etc)
Additional factors impacting nutrition:
(1)
food insecurity
(2) limited education
(3) poor habits
(4) limited parenting skills
(5) alcohol or substance abuse
(6) lack of exercise
(7) lack of transportation
