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Food Deserts

We've all heard that residents of poor inner-city areas have lousy food choices, being badly served by grocery stores (although this may be changing) while ...

We've all heard that residents of poor inner-city areas have lousy food choices, being badly served by grocery stores (although this may be changing) while faced with a surfeit of fast food options.

A new study in Chicago outlines the consequences of food deserts, including greater rates of cancer and heart disease and a diabetes rate more than double that of other metropolitan communities.

Meanwhile, a Brookings study of a dozen cities indicates that residents of poor neighborhoods are -- another shocker -- more likely to have easy access to high-interest check cashing businesses or other costly financial services.

No one ever said being poor was easy.

Alan Greenblatt is the editor of Governing. He can be found on Twitter at @AlanGreenblatt.
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