BY CAESAR ARCALES Is Coldspring a food desert?

What is a food desert? A food desert is a residential area where healthy food options are too expensive for the residents and are not available. Most of the residents are not capable of traveling to the nearest healthy grocery store and therefore rely on fast food restaurants and junk food to supplement their daily nutritional serving.

My Neighborhood: Coldspring My neighborhood, Coldspring is located in Northwest Baltimore. It is a middle- class neighborhood with a median income of $75,000 per year for more than 48% of the neighborhood population and is predominantly Caucasian. It is a decent neighborhood and is located near Mt. Washington Elementary school and various private schools.

Grocery stores and healthy foods in Coldspring There are two grocery stores near my neighborhood. Whole foods is located in Mt. Washington, about 2000 ft from Coldspring and contains many healthy food options. They only sell organic and natural food. However, the food prices are quite expensive. Giant, which is located in Hampden, is about 1500 ft away from Coldspring. It also contains healthy food options but is more economical compared whole foods.

Convenience stores in Coldspring There are no convenience stores in my neighborhood. However, there is one nearby in proximity is approximately 1000 ft away. They sell products intended for quick consumption

Fast food in Coldspring There are no fast food restaurants in Coldspring. However, There is one about 1000 ft from my neighborhood. Papa Johns sells primarily pizza.

Would you characterize your community as a food desert? Explain your choice. No. Although there are no supermarkets in the immediate area, every resident owns a vehicle and therefore have the means to travel long distances to obtain and purchase healthy meat and produce.

Price of healthy food compared to junk food. Healthy food is much more beneficial to your health compared to junk food. However it is much more expensive, Which results in people of lower incomes to consume junk food and fast food. This is part of why food deserts exist. The real question is, would you rather risk your health or risk your money?

How can we resolve this? Food deserts are a huge problem within our society. However, many solutions have been proposed such as… Growing a community garden in which fruits or vegetables are grown. While not a direct solution, exercise and run for at least one hour per day. The results are very beneficial for your health. From studies conducted in the Harvard School of Public Health, it has been proven that exercise and cardio help prevent from developing heart diseases, strokes, and high blood pressure. It also helps prevent diabetes and promotes weight loss in obese or overweight individuals. Also take a nutritional supplement if needed. Produce trucks have been established in places such as California and Michigan. This is a very innovative solution and can be very helpful to those living in food deserts. After a survey revealed that more than ninety- four percent of residents would purchase produce if it was available in their local convenience store, The city of Minneapolis enacted the MCHS, which requires corner and convenience stores to stock a certain amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. Something similar could also be enacted in Baltimore.

Everyone deserves a healthy and pleasant lifestyle! Bibliography: wshour/updates/takes- grocery-store-eliminate- food-desert/ m/article/2013/02/20/ why-supermarkets- arent-answer-our- neediest-communities-0