In order to combat this issue a two-pronged attack is necessary, increasing access to grocery stores while limiting fast food and convenience stores. There are many ways to encourage access to healthy food sources such as business incubators and local farmers markets. Community-wide efforts are now underway in Philadelphia and Detroit, two of the nation’s poorest cities (and largest food deserts). In many communities corner stores are a main source of food for people. Healthy corner stores initiatives are ways to include fresh produce in smaller convenience stores. These efforts make sure it is easy and affordable for everyone in a community to have access to healthy foods. The other approach is through fast food zoning which can limit the number of joints in a given area or ban them altogether. To fix the problem of food deserts communities must work together to come up with creative solutions that work for them.
Working to end food deserts is just one of the many steps needed to combat the obesity epidemic in america. Public awareness about eating healthy and making healthy foods affordable compared to convenience and fast foods are also needed. Making sure everyone has access to healthy food is an important step in the process, that involves the community, urban planners, public health, businesses, and producers.