A visit to the neighborhood corner store for a quick snack is commonplace among inner city youth in the city of Philadelphia. However, many are unable to make that same trip to the grocery store for a nutritious option.
According to a 2004 report by the American Planning Association (APA), urban cities have limited access to food and retail outlets. Instead of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, today’s inner city youth are running to the corner stores for a daily, quick high calorie snack.
The Food Trust organization, which provides fresh food to Philadelphia communities, estimates that snacks provide approximately 610 calories to a teenager’s diet each day. Additionally, the average number of daily harmful snacks eaten by teens has increased by 25 percent since 1977 in Philadelphia alone.
“If nothing is done these obesity cases it will probably worsen,” said Cydi Dinger, director of Nutrition and Client Service, a private company.
Farmers' markets like this one in State COllege, pa., offer fresh and healthy alternatives to the high-calorie snacks teens tend to eat. |
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The Food Trust website states that Philadelphia elementary school
students visit corner stores daily. Young students purchase chips,
soda, french fries, hamburgers and candy from various corner stores
because of the speed and convenience. However, there are a few healthy
alternatives to these unhealthy choices.
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Reading Terminal Market, located in downtown Philadelphia, is much like
an indoor farmers market that provides healthy, fresh alternatives to
the snack trend.
Alice Butler, a 67-year-old resident of north
Philadelphia, said, “Going to the Reading Terminal Market twice a week
is well worth it because it has fresh foods constantly being brought to
the food stands.”
The mission of The Food Trust organization, also in Philadelphia,
is to provide people with healthy foods choices. As recent recipients
of the Local Food Economy Leadership Award, they work with neighborhood
schools, groceries stores, farmers and policymakers to make it easy for
families to get affordable fresh foods. Butler, like many other
residents, wishes grocery stores were more prevalent in the community.
“I think the city should have more grocery stores that contain real fresh foods. It would be nice if they were nearby, ” said Butler.
Dinger said, “I believe that if we don’t have more grocery stores, the health problems are going to increase in the Philadelphia area due to the scarcity of fresh products.”
The APA also reports that access to diet foods is not available in every community. Low income and minority communities are less likely to have easy access to supermarkets. “In the neighborhood where I live, grocery store choices are not that great,” said Butler.
“Reading Terminal Market prices are cheaper than the grocery stores around my way. Unfortunately, I have to travel half an hour to get there by bus,” said Butler.