Food deserts are one of the leading causes of obesity in low-income areas, and while initiatives are being created to address this problem, more initiatives are needed to change the problem of obesity.More Today, 60 million people are obese in the world. The socioeconomic status of Americans plays a major role in obesity rates across the country. People with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than those with lower incomes. One in seven preschoolers living in low-income areas is obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). A 2008 study showed that obesity is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native children (21.2 percent) and Hispanic Americans (18.5 percent), and it is lowest among white (12.6 percent), Asian or Pacific Islander (12.3 percent), and black (11.8 percent) children (Get America Fit). “Food deserts,” as defined by the CDC, are “areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range children. a healthy diet” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). In simpler terms, a food desert is a community with few or no grocery stores. Numerous reports show that neighborhoods with less access to neighborhood grocery stores have a higher risk of obesity and poor diet, in contrast to neighborhoods where residents have better access to neighborhood grocery stores. The USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas within a mile of a supermarket. Of these 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income people in households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. Of the 2.3 million people living in low-income rural areas, ...... middle of paper ...... educational session. If education about healthy choices is not encouraged, the problem of food deserts and obesity will not be solved. .htmlhttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/features/fooddeserts/http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity /why-low-income-people-and-food-insecurity-vulnerable-to-obesity/http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.htmlhttp://www .getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.htmlhttp://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=2403440211&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1319645467&clientId=21210 Access at the grocery store does not improve diets: Study: Fast food is a bigger factor in the obesity problem Daniela Hernandez. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL: July 13, 2011. p. 16