What Happens When New Supermarkets Open in Food Deserts? Not What You May Think.

For years, public health advocates have argued that food deserts—neighborhoods without grocery stores or other fresh food vendors—contribute to a disproportionate burden of obesity and chronic disease among low-income individuals. Ready access to fresh, healthy food intuitively seems important for supporting a healthful diet.

But recent evidence contests the idea that watering America’s food deserts will solve its obesity crisis.