Recent trends in food insecurity in the United States parallel population increases in obesity. Historically, food insecurity and obesity have been viewed as distinct public health issues. However, since the mid-1990s, there has been growing interest in understanding the seemingly paradoxical relationship between these two issues. In this paper, the authors summarize findings from research More
There is increased attention and funding to policies that can increase the presence of supermarkets in lower-income, ethnically diverse neighborhoods. While having access to a wide variety of foods is a basic human right, little is known about what purchases are made in supermarkets in these areas and the factors that influence them. The aims More
A 2010 study found that there has been a 46% increase since 2005 in the reliance on emergency food by families in need. Surprisingly little is known about the nutritional quality of the food inventory of food bank or pantry programs on which the majority of emergency food clients rely. Adoption of food bank nutrition More
Mobile food vending as a venue for food access has received little attention in the public health literature. This paper outlines key components of mobile food vending regulation and provides examples from 12 U.S. cities to illustrate the variations surrounding these regulations. Then, using the regulatory framework, the authors describe how mobile food vending can More
The Healthy Eating Research (HER) Corner Store working group, comprised of HER grantees conducting research in this topic area, undertook a research project that builds on existing projects in multiple communities around the United States. Each of the eight participating sites in seven states produced in-depth interviews with small store owners and managers. The interviews More
The use of tax credits and other incentives is an increasingly looked-to approach to change food environments. Policies are being considered across the U.S. This project will evaluate the impact of New York City’s use of tax and zoning incentives to encourage the building of supermarkets in the highest need areas of the city. This More
This article examines the location of fast food restaurants near schools in New York City, based on school type, school racial demographics and area racial and socioeconomic demographics. Researchers found that a minimum of 25% of schools had fast food restaurants within 400 meters. High schools had higher fast food clustering than elementary schools, and More
This article assesses the availability of healthy foods in small food stores within four metropolitan areas: Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Oakland, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Overall, availability of healthy foods within these small urban stores was limited. For nearly all food/beverage categories, scores regarding healthy food availability increased as store size increased.
This paper explores the rationale behind small store interventions by pulling together various studies in health, planning, and marketing literature and pilot work conducted in New Orleans. The authors discuss store and food availability in lower-income neighborhoods and how changing the foods available in stores can affect purchasing behavior, diet and the economics of local More
In the United States, nearly 15 percent of households are food insecure; they have limited or uncertain access to food. This research synthesis reviews studies that examine the relationship between food insecurity and obesity in the United States, particularly involving children and families. Because of the policy implications inherent in examining this issue, the authors More
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