Dollar stores such as Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which also owns Family Dollar) are becoming a primary source of food for many families. The chains feed more Americans than Whole Foods,1 which isn't surprising when you consider there are 30,000 Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores across the U.S. — outnumbering Walmart's and McDonald's' combined — compared to 446 Whole Foods locations. The dollar store chains also claim to have their sights on yet another 20,000 locations. The problem with this trend is that dollar stores typically do not carry fresh food; it's primarily ultra-processed packaged foods and canned foods, which we know is a recipe for ill health in the long term. Sadly, dollar stores specifically target urban neighborhoods and small towns where economic struggles are commonplace,2 turning these areas into food deserts as they push out smaller, already struggling grocers. As reported by Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR):3
Driving this trend is the U.S. government's subsidy of processed food, both through the Farm Bill and through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This sets the stage for discount stores to monopolize the food market, which subsequently leads to poorer diets, higher disease rates and associated health care costs. In truth, food subsidies and health care really cannot be separated, as the nation's diet is a primary contributor to chronic disease and therefore drives our health care expenditures. The idea that big box stores and dollar stores are doing Americans a favor by making inexpensive food more available is a twisted one, as it's really just making people sicker. Racial DiscrepanciesILSR also notes that dollar stores tend to target areas based on race rather than income. Using Tulsa, Oklahoma, as an example, ILSR shows how these stores are congregated in census tracts with more African-American residents, even though there are low-income Caucasian areas as well.
How a near-total diet of ultra-processed food affects health and longevity can be seen in the city's mortality statistics. Life expectancy in north Tulsa, which is predominantly black, is a staggering 14 years lower than that of the south. In an effort to address this disparity, Tulsa's city council has enacted a dollar store ordinance that limits dollar stores in the northern part of Tulsa and provides incentives for full-service grocers instead. As reported by ILSR:4
Who Benefits From Government Food Subsidizes?In the U.S., 12.4 percent of the population, some 40 million in all as of 2017,5 live at or below the poverty line and rely on a monthly allotment of food stamps through SNAP to cover their food bill. Today, these monies are doled out once a month via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. Disturbingly, the fastest-growing group of people on food stamps are people who have jobs and work year-round. Ironically, many of them work in the very same big box stores and discount outlets that profit from the SNAP benefits their employees are forced to use due to low wages. In 2017, the program distributed $76 billion worth of EBT transfers, and across the country there are about 240,000 retailers approved by the federal government to accept EBT cards (i.e., food stamps). A 2014 article6 in Slate Magazine addressed a little-discussed facet of the food stamp subsidy — which stores actually profit from this program, funded by tax dollars, and how much. As it turns out, this data is actually kept confidential.
Discount Stores Likely Gain the Most From SNAPThe confidentiality of SNAP sales information is in sharp contrast to other government programs, where you can find out how much a participating business is getting paid. What is known, however, is that sales of staple items typically spike on days when SNAP benefits are distributed, both at grocers and discount stores. Walmart's annual report for 2014 listed cuts in SNAP payments as a potential risk factor for declining sales, as that same year the U.S. government cut SNAP by $8 billion over the next decade. And, according to Slate, Walmart likely receives about 18 percent of all food stamp spending in the U.S., based on the company's own estimates, making it "the biggest single corporate beneficiary of SNAP."7 Other players include Target, Costco, 7-Eleven and, of course, dollar stores. Slate notes:
By Encouraging Junk Food, Government Subsidies Drive Rising Health Care CostsAs mentioned at the beginning, by encouraging dollar stores and other discount stores to accept EBT, the food stamp program has become a driving force of ill health. Poor people receive money to buy food, but if all that's available in their neighborhood is dollar stores, the food they buy will be limited to ultra-processed foods that cannot support optimal health. As a result, they get sick, and must rely on more government aid to receive health care, which then drives up those costs. The U.S. government also subsidizes junk food ingredients — commodity crops such as corn, soy and wheat — over healthy foods via the Farm Bill, despite dietary guidelines calling for healthy portions of fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Considering this is what farmers get paid to grow, it's no wonder that processed corn, soy and wheat products such as bread, soda, pizza, pasta, cookies and doughnuts account for a majority of calories in the U.S. diet. Considering these foods are a primary driver of weight gain, it's also not surprising that people who consume the most subsidized foods have a far greater risk of obesity — 37 percent greater, according to research published in 2016.8 As noted by Integrative Nutrition,9 "While the subsidies were initially implemented to support struggling farmers and to secure America's food supply, the subsidies program has unintentionally supported the creation of a health epidemic." Food Subsidies Cannot Be Separated From Health CareA September 2017 article10 in The Conversation by Dariush Mozaffarian, professor of nutrition at Tufts University, hit the nail on the head, pointing out that in order to fix America's health care, we must make food a priority. Cost is one of the primary challenges of most health care related issues, be it access or the expansion of Medicaid. But changing how care is delivered is never going to solve the problem of how we're going to afford to care for everyone. We really have to shift our focus to food, as poor diet is the primary driver of chronic ill health, both in children and adults. Research11 has shown as much as 40 percent of American health care expenditures are for diseases directly related to the overconsumption of sugar (a key staple in processed and ultra-processed food). Time magazine12 cites data13 showing food insecurity incurs $77.5 billion in added health care expenditures. Children in food-insecure homes are also less likely to perform well academically, thereby perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Adding insult to injury, once you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, you're less likely to be able to manage your condition well if you cannot afford real food. According to Mozaffarian, his research suggests poor diet is the cause of nearly half of all deaths from heart disease, stroke and diabetes in the U.S. "To put this in perspective, about twice as many Americans are estimated to die each year from eating hot dogs and other processed meats (~58,000 deaths/year) than from car accidents (~35,000 deaths/year)," Mozaffarian writes, adding:
Ultra-Processed Junk Food — A Sick Idea That's Making People IllAbout 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes to buy processed food,14,15,16 which matches up nicely with data17 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which suggests 90 percent of Americans don't eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables to maintain good health. While that's bad enough, research18 reveals nearly 60 percent of the food Americans eat is not just processed but ultra-processed, defined as:
Less than 1 percent of daily calories comes from vegetables. Those ultra-processed foods account for 90 percent of the added sugar consumption in the U.S., and the dangers of eating too much added sugar have been well-established. Research has even suggested refined non-vegetable fiber carbs such as potatoes, bagels and breakfast cereal are as risky as smoking, increasing your risk for lung cancer by as much as 49 percent.19 The 2015-2020 U.S. dietary guidelines20 even recommend limiting your sugar intake to a maximum of 10 percent of your daily calories.21 (No sugar limit was ever included in earlier guidelines.) The difference between processed foods and ultra-processed foods in terms of sugar content is quite dramatic. The researchers found that about 2 percent of the calories in processed foods came from added sugars. By definition, unprocessed or minimally processed contained none. Ultra-processed foods, meanwhile, got 21 percent of their calories from added sugars! Protect Your Health by Eating Real FoodThere's no doubt we have serious health epidemics on our hands — and that a majority, if not all of them, are linked to our government's subsidy of junk food over real food, and a system that encourages the use of SNAP benefits in discount stores selling nothing but ultra-processed food. There are no quick and easy answers here. All you can do is remember that your diet really is the foundation upon which your health is built, and that eating a processed food diet is a recipe for long-term disaster. Studies have repeatedly shown that real food is more expensive than processed fare, and there's no denying the fact that there are areas where the only food retailers available are dollar stores and gas stations. Still, if you have access to real food, I encourage you to take the time to learn how to cook from scratch and make the most of any leftovers. Also consider growing some of your own. To learn more, see my previous article on creating edible gardens in small spaces. I've also written about how you can garden during the winter. This clearly requires a bit more dedication and planning, but it can be done if you have the will. One of the easiest foods to grow at home, even if you're new to gardening and have limited space, is sprouts. A highly-concentrated source of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, sprouted seeds are a true superfood that many overlook. In fact, the protein, vitamin and mineral content of many sprouted seeds far surpass that of organic homegrown vegetables. Also emphasize foods high in healthy fats, such as avocados, coconut oil, butter and nuts. The high fat content will provide you the calories you need despite smaller portions and keep you satiated longer (opposed to high-sugar, low-fat meals which will have you craving more food in a matter of hours). Healthy fats will also promote efficient fat burning and support mitochondrial health, which is essential for cellular functioning. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/12/26/dollar-store-food.aspx
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