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 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.