The Pros And Cons Of Whole Foods

When asked about the hunger problems in America one would imagine a homeless person asking and begging for food in the streets. However, what we fail to understand is that hunger is closer to us than what we think. A fellow co-worker or perhaps even the next door neighbor may be an example of someone who suffers from food insecurity. Food insecurity is when a person does not know when or where the next meal will come from. Food insecurity is most likely to develop in food deserts, a place where there is little to no fruits, vegetables and whole healthy foods. The documentary, A Place At The Table, is attempting to shed light on the argument that many Americans suffer from food insecurity because of low income and as result those individuals face various complications.

In South Central, Los Angeles, there is a food epidemic taking place among the population. For miles and miles, the only easily attainable food source is fast food; causing the overconsumption of un-nutritious, greasy, and fattening food. This is the problem brought to the public’s attention by speaker Ron Finley in his Ted Talks speech, “A Guerilla Gardener in South Central L.A.” Finley explains how everywhere he looks in his native South Central, all he sees are fast food chains and Dialysis clinics opened due to the lack of nutritious food. Finley views the lack of a healthy food source as a serious problem, and brings up

For centuries, the United States has been seen as a food and food-product paradise; with a constant bombardment of daily specials, “two-for-one” deals, and never ending combo options oozing from every corner of the food-scape. For many Americans, over indulgence is a frequent occurrence-studies show more than 50% of adults say they eat out at least once a week (“58% Eat at A Restaurant”, 2013). Even in this scene of gluttony, the poverty stricken and systematically oppressed find themselves in food deserts across The States; that’s more than 45 million Americans without access to healthy, reasonably priced foodstuffs. Of this group of 45 million, the African American community holds the seat for the highest poverty rate among various racial and ethnic groups at an astounding 26.2% in 2014 (DeNavas-Walt, 2015).

In Lisa Miller’s essay “Divided We eat,” she describes her usual morning breakfast that consists of fancy foods and claims that she is a food snob. She then goes into detail about what her neighbor's routine is like, and what Alexandra Ferguson’s morning routine is like. Food is typically a big issue for these families and the parents will usually spend hours thinking about how they will feed their families. Miller and Ferguson later discuss that some children don’t get enough eat, and some of these children are within five miles of them. Miller then tells us that seventeen percent of Americans are food insecure. The income gap has increased and now more Americans are becoming obese because of this.

All food should be available to all people. The concept of this is dwelled on in the article, “Food justice and Food retail in Los Angeles” by Mark Valliantos. Throughout the article, Valliantos maintains the notion that healthy food should be within everyone’s reach, yet inner cities are still suffering from shortages of fresh produce. To see this issue in action, Valliantos documented this reoccurring phenomenon in Los Angeles. The author gives a description of two areas within the city of Los Angeles, and how they are economically divided based on the amount of healthy produce one has at its disposal. He makes note of programs that already exist to help low income families receive healthy foods that they could not afford. He also

Americans today are no strangers to stretching every dollar earned in an attempt to live the American dream. Most people work long hours and eat on the fly with very little thought to what, or where, the food they have purchased came from. The reason food is so inexpensive has not been a concern to the average American, but the article written by Michael Pollan “The Food Movement Rising” attempts to convince the people that it is time to remove the blinders and take an accounting of the situation that America finds itself in. With obesity at epic proportions, and preventable diseases like

Food insecurity is defined as “the lack of access to enough food to ensure adequate nutrition.”1 The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that 14.6% of US households were food insecure during at least some portion of 2008 (up 11.1% from 2007), the highest levels recorded since monitoring began in 1995.2 Food insecurity is a concern of under consumption and obesity is a disease of over consumption, yet both outcomes may coexist, seemingly incongruously, within the same household.2 The most popular explanation is that low-cost, energy-dense foods linked to obesity are favored by financially constrained households, who are the most likely to be food insecure.2 Another theory, focusing on environmental context net of individual circumstance, argues that obesity and insecurity are both symptoms of malnutrition, occurring in neighborhoods where nutritious foods are unavailable or unaffordable.2 A separate literature researches environmental roles in poor nutritional outcomes, recent studies link obesity as well as atherosclerosis and diabetes to the food environment, the local context of available food items.2 The theory is that local inaccessibility to healthy foods influences diet composition, a claim supported by evidence.2 Especially in poorer neighborhoods, food options are often limited to fast food restaurants, convenience stores, or grocery stores more poorly stocked both in

In today's generation, healthy and unhealthy food plays a huge role in one's life. Especially when it comes to budgeting your expenses. Comparing the Guatemala and North Carolina family, you can tell many differences by looking at the images. It's obvious that the family from Guatemala eats healthy and the other doesn’t. Fast food has changed the world we live in now. Many years ago, people ate healthily and spent less money on junk food because they spent most of the time cooking their own food. Over the years, the production of fast food has increased tremendously in America. 77.3 percent of industries have taken over the production of fast food. Agriculture is one

Three times a day, millions of Americans peruse the varied array of food items on the dollar menu at the local fast food chain restaurant simply because it is their only affordable source of nourishment. Financial health and physical health are directly correlated in that healthy food contributes to superior physical well-being. However, this must mean that those who cannot afford a nutritious diet are those with poor physical health. The United States Census Bureau quantified nearly twenty-three percent of Houstonians living below the poverty line in 2015. In Radiolab’s “America’s Myths of Poverty,” James Baldwin observed that underprivileged families are unlikely to consume healthy meals because healthy food costs

For our case assignment, we decided to compare two grocery stores popular in the NYC area: Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. We each visited a different location of each store; Samantha visited the Trader Joe’s in Union Square, Heather visited Trader Joe’s on the Upper West Side, Cathleen visited Whole Foods on the Upper West Side, and Brittany visited Whole Foods in Chelsea. Each store had its own dynamic, but the brand positioning for both stores was consistent.

The Fast Food Industry targeting low-income communities is a sinful structure that disrespects human dignity and the common good. This structure interferes with seeing God at work in people’s lives today. Fast Food Industries target low-income neighborhoods that lack grocery stores. Residents, especially those without reliable transportation may be limited to shop, where fresh foods are available (“Food Research & Action Center”). Low-income communities that lack transportation determine whether a family can access to nutrition food. When healthy food is available, the food is more expensive causing these communities to go to fast food industries instead (“Food Research & Action Center”). This creates fast food industries to open more chains

When considering factors that make Whole Foods an appealing company, I would have to say first, that comes to mind is their approach to fostering strong value in their employees. The thought process behind taking care of your employees and working as a team is something I hold dear to my heart. I grew up in the military as a young adult where teamwork is key to success. The way this company utilizes this approach to management is ideal for building a committed and strong work force.

Whole Food launched it’s Whole Trade Guarantee in April 2007, it was an initiative emphasizing the social responsibility and equitable compensation for producers from the developing world. Whole Foods justifies the its program as a commitment to benefiting to all stakeholders. The program reduced immediate profitability by paying foreign workers better wages, the investment improves relationships, improves the company’s reputation, and serves as a great example of the Whole Foods’ commitment to social responsibility.

Furthermore, in class we watched the movie Food, Inc. which showed a family who is lower socioeconomic status, they are not able to provide much healthy food. To them, it was easier to buy dinner at a

In order for an urban community food model to be successful, the consumers must have unfettered access and the community must provide unadulterated support. One of the main strengths of Allen’s “community food center” is a focus on both low income families and the surrounding populace. Since the beginning, Allen set his focus on those who had no access to fresh produce. Using food that would have otherwise gone to waste, Allen sells what he calls ‘Market Baskets’ in which “all of the food in [the baskets is] food stamp eligible” (Allen, 116). Allen’s inclusion of lower income families within his model provides him greater opportunity to transform the urban food system. Rather than diverting resources to high income families, as can be seen by the high prices of local and organic foods, Allen’s attention for those who need fresh produce the most both strengthens his model and draws the