It’s the (Food) Economy, Stupid

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/05/24/its-the-food-economy-stupid/

It’s the (Food) Economy, Stupid

By Katherine Hobson

Access to the fresh produce and other foods sold in grocery stores is likely one slice of a multi-part solution to obesity – but it’s a lot more complicated than geographic proximity.

That’s the conclusion of a report by researchers at the University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition, who looked at the distinction between the closest grocery store and the one that a person actually patronizes. Having a grocery store nearby doesn’t guarantee purchases of fresh produce or other more healthful foods, the report found — those decisions are often driven by economics.

The report found, not surprisingly, that richer, skinnier, more-educated people patronized Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and a local co-op. Their demographic opposites were more likely to shop at Albertsons and Fred Meyer. Most people shopped outside their immediate area, likely on the basis of price (for poorer people) or the perception of higher quality (for wealthier people).

Moreover, the relative prices within the store also likely dictate diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and other unprocessed foods are often more expensive than processed, less nutritious foods. That suggests a focus on making more healthful foods more affordable, not simply opening grocery stores in underserved areas, study author Adam Drewnowski, an epidemiologist at UW, tells the Health Blog via email.

“Bringing grocery stores to neighborhoods that have none is a good idea,” Drewnowski says. “It does improve the economic viability of neighborhoods and does improve quality of life. But let’s not expect that everyone will then eat fresh fruit all day long. Money still matters,” he writes.

There are caveats — namely, this is a Seattle-centric study, and its findings may not be applicable to the rest of the U.S., such as some urban areas where there are real “food deserts,” where no grocery stores lie within easy reach. Those deserts don’t really exist in Seattle, Drewnowski says.