The Organic Food Gap and Healthiness

Although we had to turn in our junior theme papers a couple of weeks ago, I would still like to write one more post on my theme topic: organic food and its recent popularity spike.  Aside from this spike in popularity, however, is the important, yet depressing fact that many people can barely afford cheap, unhealthy food let alone organic food.  Food deserts are rampant in large cities like my hometown of Chicago.  Food deserts are areas of a usually sprawling metropolis that do not have access to healthy, fresh food, but instead have an abundance of unhealthy fast food.  Fast food is, obviously, extremely cheap, and this fuels an epidemic of obesity among a lower-income population.  Ann Cooper, a leader in the fight against the increasing rate of childhood obesity and a grade school , said in a TED Talk that 25% of the food that she serves her students is either organic or locally grown.  She says that if her students are, "eating chemicals all the time, they're not going to be able to think."  She added, "They're not going to be smart. You know what? They're just going to be sick."

It's hard to argue the fact that obesity, in both children and adults, has increased dramatically.  According to the CDC 35.7% of American adults in 2009/2010 were obese, and 17% of American children are now considered.  This is a strikingly large increase from past years; a generation ago the obesity percentage was closer to 6% of the country's youth population.  One of the links on the CDC's website was to a video that describes some of the major players in the obesity epidemic.  One of the reasons, the video says, that promotes overall unhealthiness are food desert communities.  A study done by Scarborough Research said that people who typically buy organics normally spend 10 percent higher than the national average on groceries and make 22 percent higher income than the national norm.  One man from inner-city Philadelphia said in the CDC video that over the course of his entire life living in the city he had never had a regular supermarket within close distance of his home.  These types of markets are not even all organic, just food that's not processed and pumped with artificially processed foods that are so harmful according to people like Ann Cooper.

One of the predominant problems that many have with organics is that they are overpriced, yet do not provide substantial health benefits.  Ann Cooper is very apt to serve organics in her cafeteria, but there are not many conclusive studies done to suggest organic food in particular is much healthier than regular food.  This, however, is one of the major drivers people who have the means feel regarding the desire to buy organic food.  This discrepancy is trivial, however, when compared to the magnitude of the obesity problem in America.  I've found that more important than uncovering why organic food has become so popular for my paper, it is crucial to wonder why have Americans become so much more unhealthy over the years?  Perhaps organic connotes whole foods like fruits and veggies, and these can help to promote a healthier lifestyle.  Nonetheless, I've found that although there are many admirable reasons to buy organic food, it is extremely important to just eat food that's good for you, no matter what kind.  What do you think?  Should we try and make organic food more accessible or should or priority first be to get healthy food of any type to people as soon as we can?