Cost of healthy foods linked to heart risks

In some neighbourhoods with little access to healthy food, people with high personal income had fewer heart risk factors than those with low incomes

Living in an area with little access to fresh and nutritious foods has been linked to high heart disease risk, but a new study suggests that it’s the inability to afford a healthy diet, rather than access, that’s to blame.

Researchers studied Atlanta residents and found that people living in “food deserts,” where there are few places to buy fresh produce and other healthy foods, had more heart risk factors like hardened arteries and inflammation than people with easy access to healthy foods.

But within food-desert neighbourhoods, people with high personal income had fewer heart risk factors than those with low incomes,