Argumentative Essay On Food Deserts

Grandma quietly whispers a blessing over the food for her grandchildren. She believes that the combined power of her prayers and the food will nourish her grandchildren for success. In the Navajo culture, during a ceremony the Hogan (home) is filled with food to bless the medicine man and to nourish everyone in the family. Navajo women are taught to take pride in the meals they prepare because the feelings and attitudes they carry will be absorbed by those who eat the meal. Today food is still sacred among Native Americans, but historical events have influenced cultural degradation and given rise to various social issues that inhibit healthy eating across Native American communities. Communities that once thrived are now plagued by dietary related health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Since cultural

The USDA considers several indicators of access such as, accessibility to sources of healthy food, individual-level resources that may affect accessibility, and neighborhood-level indicators of resources. The definition explains that food deserts can be areas where grocery stores do not exist within several miles or even that food deserts can be areas where most of a grocery store’s products are processed foods with little to no nutritional value. Many food deserts are defined by the low-income communities which is most Native American communities where the unemployment rate was 11.3% in 2014 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 45). It can be difficult for most families to afford food on a consistent basis. The Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota serves as a prime example where reports show that nearly 40% of families experience food insecurity (Bauer). Food deserts are merely a contributing factor to the current health epidemic and are part of economic struggles faced in Native American