Scotlyn Kent - Your Wealth Your Health

Wealth Inequality Gave Birth to Arising Food Inequality 

In the American society capitalism rules the lands of our star spangled nation. Our health is based on our wealth, and this is not just our ability to buy medical insurance it also impacts our daily lives with food we consume. The rich in American have the ability to buy artisans breads, organic vegetables, and, antibiotic free meats; whereas the rest of the population are left with the financial means to purchase food that contribute to diabetes, cancer and other disease. In America we live in a tiered wealth system where the top  socioeconomic tier can consume health choice foods as the other tears are riddle side effects of poor diets. The every growing gap of inequality in America is leading to growing levels of food insecurity impacting communities within the lowest socioeconomic status. Food insecurity can lead to cases of unhealthy eating, obesity, and diabetes.

Household incomes in Los Angeles

• 18% of Angelinos live below the poverty line making 24,000 a year. 
• 7% of that 18 % are full-time employees.
• There has been a 25% decrees in low wages from 1979 to present. 
• A sharp increase in income inequality arose from 1979 to present partially due to low wage decline, while high income profession salary increased. 
• Los Angeles is ranked number 7 out of 150 for income inequality. 
• Uneven wage across race/ethnic groups from 2000-2018 have been measured as white communities earning on an average 2.00 dollars more and hour than all other communities. This race based wage inequality directly impacts communities of color.  living in Los Angeles directly impacting their access to high quality healthy foods.
• 66.6% of all Los Angeles student qualify for free/reduced lunches based of low income requirements.

 

Cost of Organic Groceries within Los Angeles 

• Organic apples 3.99 LB Vs. 1.99 LB 
• Organic garlic 1.99-3.99 Vs. 69 cents
• Organic Grapes 4.99 LB Vs. 1.99 LB 
• Organic Romaine 2.99 Vs. 1.99 LB 
• Organic Peaches 4.99 LB Vs. 2.00 LB    
• Free range antibiotic free organic chicken 13.99 LB Vs. 4.99 LB 
• Grass feed organic beef 16.99 LB Vs. 8.99 LB 
• Wild caught halibut 24.99 
• Wild caught salmon 16.99 
• Wild caught shrimp from USA 14.99
• Farmed salmon 6.99 
• Farmed shrimped 6.99 
• Organic flour 8.99 a bag 
• Flour 3.99 a bag
• Artisan bread 6.00-7.00 a loaf 
• Whole wheat 4.00 a loaf 
• White bread 1.99 a loaf 

Health Statistics in Los Angeles

• 12.3% percent of families living in the city of Los Angeles suffer from food insecurity.
• According to public health records 18.2 percent of Angelenos are diagnosed with diabetes. 
• According to public health record 36.2 of Los Angeles residents are currently falling in the obesity range of weight. 
• According to the public health records Los Angeles residents are classified as over weight range is 21.4%.
• Stress is another common side effect of an individual living with food insecurity. 
• According to public access records after a blind study was done on LAUSD serving select school healthy options for lunch student performance and overall attitude had a dramatic increase in post testing awareness. 
• Within this same study although healthy option were given to student 1/3 of girls and 1/2 of boys did not take the fruit and vegetable options.  
• 1 in 6 adults in the united states suffer from food insecurity.

Community Impact 

• "I have three kids all three go to different schools. One is in 3rd grade, my son is in middle school, and my eldest is in high school. My middle child refuses to pack lunch she often will eat chips or a burrito from school. My eldest eat the same a slice of pizza, burrito or a bag if chips, she does not like her school hot lunch. My youngest here with you get the hot lunch that is all healthy, but I could not afford it if we did get it for free. I think the school charges 5.50 a day."Mother of three children ages 9,11,and15
• "After my Sons diagnoses we put him on a very strict diet he is gluten, dairy and soy free. He has been eating this way for roughly a year now, and we have seen a huge decrease in behaviors. His mom does all the weekly shopping mainly at Whole Foods. I am unsure I want to know what we spend to eat this way, but anything for his quietly of life I will pay. Father of a Kindergartner."
• "Being a single mom of a five year old in Los Angeles is rough. I work two jobs to pay the bills all evening then into the night. Most night I work a graveyard. I get the bills paid, but I don't have time to think about dinner or breakfast. I mean he ate a snickers on the way to school this morning, because I haven't had time to grocery shop. Typically he get the hot lunch at school then we drive through and pick him something up for dinner before I go to my first shift." - Mom of a Kindergartner.  
• "I shop at Trader Joe's, 365, and Von's I typically send my kids with left over from the night before maybe some pasta, salad, fish, chicken, rice or vegetables. When I don't send them with left over I often if not almost always send a whole wheat sandwich Italian style with a side of grapes, and a few pop chips." Mom of three ages unknown. 

 My Why 

Living in Los Angeles working within my community as an educator I meet vast amounts of families also living within my community. Each of these families are unique and beautiful, yet I see the inequity in my local community. Family to family impacted by our tiered socioeconomic system some high on the socioeconomic latter others lower, like myself. My eyes see the difference in the quality of food consumed based of this status due to access, income, and knowledge. I wonder why can one child have fresh sushi for lunch when his/her best friend is eating a bag of Doritos washed down by Oreos. I drive through the streets of Los Angeles, neighborhood to neighborhood, I watch the environment change before my eyes. I am plagued with the questions how can some how so much when other are lacking fish vegetables. Each time I enter the grocery store I battle my bank account to eat the highest quality food possible for I am aware of the impact they can have on my future. My why is for myself, my students, and my community we all deserve a healthy chance at life.

Resources to Make a Change

Throughout Los Angeles many non-profit organizations, and governmental organization have been in place to feed the hungry, and combat food insecurity. Some local schools are bringing awareness to healthy eating, and what exactly a healthy meal looks like. Some local school have policies in place banning unhealthy food, but this becomes sensitive when many students are suffering from food insecurities. Education about food insecurity mixed with combating hungry can help the communities of Los Angeles make great strides in combating the unjust created inequities of income, resources, and access across the greater Los Angeles.

• http://lagardencouncil.org/start-a-garden/
• https://www.facebook.com/Richstreetgarden/
• https://blog.ted.com/no-more-citations-for-curbside-veggies-in-los-angeles/
• http://ronfinley.com
• https://www.lafoodbank.org/learn/programs-services/free-summer-lunch-sites/
• http://www.dogoodla.org/doing-good/in-la/category/organizations
• https://www.unitedwayla.org/en/
• http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/reports/LAHealthBrief2011/FoodInsecurity/Food_Insecurity_2015Fs.pdf  

Research 

• http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0007650316676238?journalCode=basa
• http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/reports/habriefs/2007/Obese_Cities/Obesity_2011Fs.pdf
• http://harvardpolitics.com/culture/food-gap/
• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/485955
• https://dornsife.usc.edu/pere/equity-profile-los-angeles-region/
• http://www.calhealthreport.org/2018/01/05/new-school-lunch-law-will-help-fight-hunger/
• https://www.kidsdata.org/topic/518/free-school-meals-eligible/table
• http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/reports/LAHealthBrief2011/FoodInsecurity/Food_Insecurity_2015Fs.pdf