Project Summary:
Research has shown that many low income urban neighborhoods have low quality food resources, and that food prices are often higher in poor areas. At the same time, a disproportionate percentage of Americans suffering from nutrition-related health problems like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are low-income. Because food quality is lower and prices are higher in the inner city, and because money must be spent to treat these health problems, the poor are driven deeper into poverty. In the Belmont neighborhood of West Philadelphia, a low-income, African-American area, residents have shown dissatisfaction with the traditional food resources in the area, i.e. the grocery stores. this study examines the food resources available to these residents. It suggests that one way residents can obtain better quality food at lower prices, as well as information on how to eat more nutritiously and economically, is through the use of programs implemented by non-profit organizations. Looking at the way poverty is in part a result of food resources and diet will allow researchers and policy makers to rethink the United States' current methods of poverty reduction. 