Are you all familiar with the concept of “food deserts”? These are the areas where it is difficult to find supermarkets and shops where you can find fruit and vegetables, fresh and organic food. There are entire urban areas in Western countries where it is impossible to eat "real" food. There's even worse, though. Have you ever heard of “food swamps”? These are areas that are overloaded with other things: takeaway food, fast food and options that "condemn" residents to have a terrible diet. In the long run, and in one word: lethal.
Food inequalities and their consequences
A recent study conducted in the USA (could we call it the home of the phenomenon? I ask) highlights how these dietary inequalities can cause an increase in the risk of death from cancers linked toobesity. There are 13 types of cancer linked to this condition of being overweight: among these are breast, intestine and liver cancer. Together, they account for 40% of all cancers in the country. I'll link you here the results of the analysis done by Malcolm Seth Bevel and colleagues at Augusta University in Georgia.
In the USA, less wealthy neighborhoods with a predominantly African-American population are, in fact, food swamps. They have three to four times less food supply and "healthy" shops than rich neighborhoods inhabited predominantly by whites. This limits their ability to access fresh, affordable food. The “cheap” option, as you will imagine, is the one that is most harmful to your health. Not just the United States, however. Also in Australia, many “built-in” western Sydney suburbs (far from amenities and shops) have no food outlets. When they have them, the84% of them are fast food. Result? Rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are higher in these areas, the researchers found.
The link between food swamps and cancer risk
Food swamps, characterized by an overabundance of fast food and convenience stores compared to supermarkets, are predominantly found in the southern and southeastern regions of the United States, where rates of chronic disease are the highest. Research reveals that there is a strong link between the presence of food swamps and a high percentage of obesity-related cancer deaths. In numbers? Residents of food swamps they are 77% more likely of dying from obesity-related cancer.
Make no mistake: obesity and cancer are complex diseases, influenced by a multitude of factors in addition to diet. Nonetheless, this new study is an important reminder of the need to address food inequalities and find solutions to this systemic problem. A problem which, with the ever-increasing gentrification of large cities, will also find its way into Europe with historic centers increasingly prey to fast food and big brands, and with fewer and fewer "everyday" shops.
Out of the swamp
Bevel and his colleagues suggest that making food access equitable isn't just about providing more healthy food stores: You need to create more walkable neighborhoods and promote urban agriculture through community gardens. It's not enough to tell people to choose healthy foods if they don't have access to these options. Just a few days ago I talked about the efforts of many cities to build human-scale spaces (the famous "15 minute cities"): between this possibility and the fears of some commentators who reject the idea because "they are fences in which they control us", I see it as tough.
People already live in enclosures, or rather in swamps, which without bars and with the smile of a nice billboard showing a giant sandwich are slowly killing them. They are not afraid of that. This study reminds us of the importance of the geographical and socio-economic context in our health, and highlights the fundamental role of public policies in reducing health disparities, including those related to nutrition.
Knowing these problems, knowing the opportunities that arise from a change in the way we think and build our cities and our neighborhoods: we need this. Don't be afraid of everything, and bark at the moon over some fried chicken.
