​Overview

• What we learned from this weeks lecture & readings

• Course Activity #34

• Canadian Food Guide: then & now

• Summary

• Knowledge quiz

Food Environments

​What we learned from this weeks lecture

• there are a few different factors that influence one's access to food, such as: social, economic, or physical barriers

• there are four types of food environments: food deserts, food swamps, food mirages, and food oases

• 3 out of 4 of the food environments are negative environments: food deserts, food swamps, and food mirages

• local residents can go to food asset places in their community to "grow, prepare, share, by, receive or learn about food" better

Food Environments

What we learned from this weeks readings

• food deserts = are areas that have limited access to healthy food

• food swamps = are areas with adequate access to healthy food retail, but that also features an overabundance of exposure to less healthy food and beverages

• food mirages = as a barrier for individuals experiencing low incomes to access healthy, affordable food in their neighborhood

• food oases = neighborhoods that have superior access to food and healthy food

• negative food environments are found most often in low-income/ diverse areas

Food Environments

Course Activity #34

asks us to look at

• how many and what kind of food environments are around & what those environments offer

• what food environments do to their surrounding community & does the food environment and its community both fit in with each other

• and what are some potential demographic impacts on this classification

Food Environments

Course Activity #34 - using my high school as an exmaple of study

1-kilometer radius

• Sushi Restaurant ($$) --> increases food mirages

• Fish & Chip House Restaurant ($) --> increases food mirages

• Convenience Grocery Store ($) --> increases food swamp/ food deserts

  • By examining the food environments within a 1–kilometer radius we can see that there are only negative food environments, as they are options in which increases food swamp/ food deserts and increases food mirages for this group of individuals.

Food Environments

Course Activity #34 - using my high school as an exmaple of study

1.5-kilometer radius

• Fast food places x6 ($) --> increases food swamp/ food deserts

• restaurants x7 ($$) --> increases food mirages

• pubs x4 ($$) --> increases food mirages

• convenience store x1 ($) --> increases food swamp/ food deserts

• coffee shops x3 & cafes x2 ($) --> increases food swamp/ food deserts

• + a few other choices

Food Environments

Course Activity #34 - using my high school as an exmaple of study

1.5-kilometer radius

• when examining the environments within a 1.5–kilometer radius, we still see how negative food environments are continued to be reinforced by the large amounts of increasing food swamps/ food deserts and the increasing amounts of healthier food environments that actively increase food mirages.

  • concluding that this neighbourhood fits into a negative food environment, as there are limited or difficulties in healthy food access due to the lack of retail options, cost, transportation and mobility, and availability of culturally appropriate food.

Food Environments

Canadian Food Guide

so how does a negative food environment, such as the one surrounding my high school, reflect in comparison to the Canadian Food Guide?

.

does this kind of environment represent the Canadian Food Guide then or now?

Food Environments

Canadian Food Guide: then & now

Canadian Food Guide: now & then

• a neighbourhood with a negative food environment like such, does not reflect the newly updated/ current Canadian Food Guide

  • as the food environment provides none or very little access to vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protine

• yet, it reflects the old Canadian Food Guide

  • as such, this negative food environment provides the access to many grains, meats, and alternatives choices that are ok in pricing but are not healthy

Food Environments

Summary

• 4 food environments: Food Deserts, Food Swamps, Food Mirages, Food Oases

  • 3/4 of these environments are negative (Food Deserts, Swamps, & Mirages)

• negative food environments are foound most often in low-income/ diverse areas

Food Environments

• food deserts = neighbourhoods that lack sufficient access to healthy foods

• food swamps = neighbourhoods that have excess acces to unhealthy foods

• food mirages = neighbourhoods with healthy food options, but these are unaffordable to those with low incomes

​Quiz

• to test the knowledge that we acquired throughout this weeks material covering the main points

• 7 questions

• https://quizizz.com/join/presentation/6386e9f7ae1161001dc1f45f/start?studentShare=true

Food Environments