overview
It’s no shock that what we eat affects how
we feel, mentally and physically, both in
the now and in the long run.
A lot of people suffer from illnesses like obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, and hyperten-
sion—often referred to as diet-related diseases because they can be managed and even
avoided altogether by the foods we eat. Unfortunately, these diet-related diseases impact
low-income communities of color the most. But if we dig a bit deeper about why, it’s not
always so simple as choosing to eat an apple instead of chips. The food that people have
access to, that’s affordable, that’s fresh—determines plenty of choices for us. And in the
experience of low-income, African American, Native American, and Latino communities es-
pecially, limited access to healthy food is a serious barrier, both physically and economical-
ly. A history of housing discrimination segregated communities of color into concentrated
areas that grocery stores avoid, and fresh, healthy food is often much more expensive than
the packaged and processed alternative. Instead, they’re often surrounded by foods that
are high in sugar, salt, and fat, increasing the risk of diet-related chronic diseases such as di-
abetes, heart disease, and obesity. Packaged and processed foods have their place—they
are inexpensive, last longer, and are easy to use—yet, they are often low in nutrients and
high in calories. Many of the common ingredients in these foods are linked directly back to
these same diet-related diseases.
Not to mention how much food corporations spend to convince us—and especially youth—
to buy their products. The actual number? More than $5 million every day marketing just
fast food to youth alone. And around $2 billion per year targeting youth with ads and
marketing for junk food. 1 Do we really believe that professional athletes get to the top of
their game by drinking soda all day? Of course not. But marketing is effective and corpora-
tions keep finding ways to influence kids and teens in spaces where they’re already active:
schools and scholarships, movies, phone apps, and sports events to name a few. Just like
in other aspects of the food system, youth of color face more obstacles and are targeted
more heavily for these ads than their white peers. In a recent study, total food-related ad-
vertising spending on Black-targeted TV actually increased by more than half from 2013 to
2017, from $217 million to $333 million. 2 And disparities between Black and White youth in
exposure to food-related TV ads also increased. In 2017, Black children viewed 86 percent
more ads compared to White children and 119 percent more ads were seen by Black teens
than by White teens.
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