S tra n d e d i n t h e F ood D e s e rt Reconnecting Communities with Healthy Food Options

A food desert is a LaSalle Bank is committed to building EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF FOOD DESERTS ON PUBLIC IN CHICAGO sustainable communities by providing residents, large geographic area small businesses and nonprofit organizations with no or distant with the resources and assistance necessary grocery stores. to be healthy and vibrant members of the community. EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF FOOD ISSUE OVERVIEW DESERTS ON Public health officials and community IN CHICAGO Food balance means advocates have been alarmed by statistics having equal access that reflect the growing prevalence of , , cancer, and to grocery stores, fast , particularly in disadvantaged food outlets and other neighborhoods. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY venue choices. We know that many factors influence health, but what about the locations of RESEARCH FINDINGS grocery stores and fast food restaurants, and the balance of food choices? To explore Racial Imbalance of Food Deserts this relationship, in 2006 LaSalle Bank Over half a million Chicagoans live in the commissioned a report titled Examining city’s three food deserts (see Fig. 1), and the the Impact of Food Deserts on Public vast majority of them are African-American. Health in Chicago. The report, authored Of this group, nearly 400,000 live in areas by Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting with an imbalance of food choices. In other Group, considered whether residents of words, they have ready access to fast food “food deserts” – communities with little and other fringe retail outlets, but very or no access to grocery stores and quality, limited or no access to the fresh, healthy nutritious food choices – suffer greater rates food available at grocery stores. Food desert of -related health consequences holding residents might buy their food at convenience other influencers constant. stores, fast food restaurants, liquor stores, gas stations or drug stores. African-Americans who live on the West Balance in is key. For instance, and South sides of Chicago are the most while much of the North side has high disadvantaged when it comes to balanced concentrations of fast food restaurants, they food choices, although other racial groups do are often in “destination” entertainment and suffer as well (see Fig. 3). African-Americans, eating areas that also have a wide variety of on average, travel the farthest distance to grocery stores and non-fast-food restaurants, reach the closest grocery store (see Fig. 2), resulting in more food choices. which is often twice as far as the closest fast food restaurant.

Chicago Communities Chicago’s Food Deserts by Tract with Community Boundaries 1 ROGERS PARK 40 WASHINGTON PARK 2 WEST RIDGE 41 HYDE PARK 3 UPTOWN 42 WOODLAWN 9 1 4 LINCOLN SQUARE 43 SOUTH SHORE 2 12 5 NORTH CENTER 44 CHATHAM 10 77 11 13 6 LAKE VIEW 45 AVALON PARK 4 7 LINCOLN PARK 46 SOUTH CHICAGO 14 3 8 NEAR NORTH SIDE 47 BURNSIDE 15 16 9 EDISON PARK 48 CALUMET HEIGHTS 17 5 6 21 10 NORWOOD PARK 49 ROSELAND 18 19 20 11 JEFFERSON PARK 50 PULLMAN 22 7 12 FOREST GLEN 51 SOUTH DEERING 13 NORTH PARK 52 EAST SIDE 23 24 8 14 ALBANY PARK 53 WEST PULLMAN 25 15 PORTAGE PARK 54 RIVERDALE 26 32 16 IRVING PARK 55 HEGEWISCH 27 28 17 DUNNING 56 GARFIELD RIDGE 29 33 18 MONTCLARE 57 ARCHER HEIGHTS 34 31 19 BELMONT CRAGIN 58 BRIGHTON PARK 30 60 35 20 HERMOSA 59 MCKINLEY PARK 59 36 21 AVONDALE 60 BRIDGEPORT 58 61 22 LOGAN SQUARE 61 NEW CITY 57 37 38 39 23 HUMBOLDT PARK 62 WEST ELSDON 56 63 41 24 WEST TOWN 63 GAGE PARK 62 40 64 68 42 25 AUSTIN 64 CLEARING 67 66 26 WEST GARFIELD PARK 65 WEST LAWN 65 69 27 EAST GARFIELD PARK 66 CHICAGO LAWN 43 28 NEAR WEST SIDE 67 WEST ENGLEWOOD 71 70 45 46 29 NORTH LAWNDALE 68 ENGLEWOOD 44 30 SOUTH LAWNDALE 69 GREATER GRAND CROSSING 47 48 31 LOWER WEST SIDE 70 ASHBURN 72 73 32 LOOP 71 AUBURN GRESHAM 49 50 52 33 NEAR SOUTH SIDE 72 BEVERLY 74 51 34 ARMOUR SQUARE 73 WASHINGTON HEIGHTS 75 35 DOUGLAS 74 MOUNT GREENWOOD 53 36 OAKLAND 75 MORGAN PARK 54 55 37 FULLER PARK 76 O’HARE Food Desert 38 GRAND BOULEVARD 77 EDGEWATER 39 KENWOOD Fig. 1 Relative Access to Grocers and Fast Food in Chicago by Race

The correlation between food access and diet-related health outcomes repeats itself in nearly every White Hispanic instance. African-American Asian Grocer Fast Food

Fig. 2

Do Food Deserts Lead to Health Risks? The diabetes death rate for the most out-of-balance Chicago communities is more than twice the rate for all other communities. Further, premature death due to cancer and cardiovascular Chicago’s Most Out-of-Balance Tracts When It Comes to Food Access disease is greater for African-American and White communities where there is greater imbalance of food choices, accounting for income, education and race.

Food imbalance is a statistically significant contributor to increased rates of (BMI), or obesity. In Chicago, high BMI patterns cluster dramatically by race and place (see Fig. 4): the North and Northwest sides have the lowest rates of obesity, while the West and South sides have the highest rates of obesity.

The correlation between food access and diet-related health outcomes repeats itself in nearly every instance of analysis: as communities become more out-of-balance in terms of food choices, residents are more likely to die prematurely and at greater rates from diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, White Black as well as suffer from obesity and hypertension. Hispanic Asian WHAT CAN BE DONE? Diverse More than 250 attendees from government, healthcare, planning, Not in Grouping public health, community development and grocery retail sectors The map shows the most out-of-balance tracts that have no came to learn the findings and respond to the report at a LaSalle or few grocers but nearby fast food restaurants shaded by Bank forum titled Stranded in the Food Desert. Since its release, that tract’s majority race. this research has been the focus of considerable local and national Fig. 3 media attention, including feature articles in Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times and several segments on local TV stations as well as CNN. Average Body Mass Index by Our Food Balance Score

Food imbalance is a statistically significant High BMI Average BMI contributor to Low BMI increased rates Excluded of body mass Food Balance index (BMI), Score Worst or obesity. In Average Best Chicago, high BMI Excluded patterns cluster This map by Zip Code indicates BMI and Food Balance Scores. dramatically by Brown dots indicate areas that are the most out-of-balance; they have no or distant grocers but nearby fast food. race and place. Fig. 4

Identifying both market and needs-based new understanding leads to creative and solutions that promote access to nutritious sustainable solutions that bring healthy food food choices will require input and support options to the Chicagoans who suffer most. from the food desert residents themselves, as well as from grocers, banks, brokers, To view the full report and learn more about this work, visit lasallebank.com. developers, planners, health advocates and government – ultimately everyone – to achieve even a modest level of success.

This study reveals the negative health impacts of food deserts and food imbalance on Chicago communities. We hope that this

Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago © 2006 Mari LaSalle Bank Forums are held to foster discussion and debate among Gallagher Research and Consulting Group community leaders on new ideas and best practices in community and LaSalle Bank sustainable development. Community and Sustainable Development 135 S. LaSalle St. | Chicago, IL 60603 lasallebank.com

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