Fast food is particularly popular in low-income communities because it is affordable and highly accessible. However, the reliance on unhealthy ingredients—such as ingredients with high levels of sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats—has serious consequences for residents’ health [1]. This is especially troubling in neighborhoods known as "food deserts," where the availability of fresh, nutritious food is severely limited. The inequitable issue of food deserts furthers the harmful health, welfare, and communal effects on the low-income and marginalized communities commonly seen in Los Angeles.

A food desert is a term used by The Food Empowerment Project to describe a geographic area where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food. These neighborhoods are often surrounded by fast food chains, convenience stores, and other sources of highly processed, unhealthy foods [2]. For example, if you live in an area with several fast-food restaurants within walking distance but have to travel miles to reach a grocery store or a farmers’ market, you are likely living in a food desert [3]. Even though food is available in these areas, it is not the type of food that can support a healthy diet [4].

Although food deserts can exist in any community, they are most prevalent in low-income and marginalized communities [5]. As iterated in an article in Healthline, systemic barriers to healthy food access in these communities are compounded by poverty, limited transportation options, and the absence of grocery stores that offer fresh produce, whole grains, and other essential nutrients. This disproportionate access to unhealthy food options has sparked important conversations about food equity—the idea that all communities, regardless of socioeconomic status, should have equal access to healthy food [6].

The issue at hand lies in the long-term consequences of a diet dominated by fast food and processed foods. Living in a food desert, where access to healthy food is limited, can lead to a range of serious health problems. Individuals who regularly consume fast food are at a heightened risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. In addition, the lack of access to nutritious food can adversely affect mental health, contributing to increased levels of stress, depression, and anxiety [7]. In communities where food access is restricted, residents often face diminished opportunities to make healthier dietary choices, thereby reinforcing cycles of poor health outcomes.

A key factor contributing to food deserts in low-income neighborhoods is zoning laws. Zoning laws are regulations that determine how land in a specific area can be used, such as whether it is designated for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes. These laws often shape the types of businesses that can open in certain areas, which can either facilitate or hinder access to healthy food. In many low-income and marginalized communities, zoning laws have historically prioritized the development of fast-food chains, convenience stores, and other businesses that sell unhealthy food [8]. Unfortunately, they have often prevented grocery stores or farmers' markets, which could provide healthier food options, from setting up shop in these neighborhoods.

These laws often make it difficult for small businesses, including grocery stores that offer healthy options, to establish themselves in lower-income neighborhoods [9]. For instance, the construction of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood involved significant changes to zoning laws in the area as part of a larger plan to "revitalize" the community. With the influx of entertainment venues, luxury apartments, and chain restaurants, the needs of the community’s existing residents—especially low-income families who rely on affordable and accessible food—are sidelined. Instead of grocery stores that provide nutritious food, Inglewood now faces a growing concentration of fast-food restaurants, bars, and high-end retail outlets—leaving residents with fewer options for healthy eating [10].

While the stadium was intended to boost the local economy by attracting sports fans and tourists, the area surrounding the stadium became increasingly focused on retail, entertainment, and high-end commercial developments. However, this type of redevelopment often comes at the expense of affordable housing and local businesses that serve the existing community. Grocery stores, in particular, are pushed out of these areas because they cannot compete with the rising property values and are not prioritized in the new zoning regulations [11].

The relationship between zoning laws, food access, and health outcomes is clear: food deserts are not just a matter of convenience or personal choice—they are a consequence of systemic inequalities in urban planning and land use. As cities and neighborhoods continue to grow and evolve, addressing the underlying causes of food deserts requires not only changing zoning laws but also ensuring that these changes benefit all residents, particularly those who have been historically underserved.

For example, a UCLA student who grew up in Inglewood, Los Angeles and resides right next to SoFi stadium—a neighborhood widely regarded as low-income and underserved—was asked, “Do you think you live in a food desert? If so, why do you think that?” She responded with a clear answer: “Of course I live in a food desert. I have like 5 Jack in the Box places around my house, but it takes us 30-45 minutes to get to a suitable grocery store.” Her response illustrates the stark contrast between the abundance of fast food and the scarcity of healthy food options in her community. Like many other residents of Inglewood, she has experienced firsthand the negative effects of living in a food desert where the most accessible food options are unhealthy and the alternatives are further away [12].

This issue is not unique to Inglewood. Many communities across California and the United States face similar challenges, where residents find themselves in neighborhoods with a high concentration of unhealthy food options but very little access to fresh produce or grocery stores. For residents in these areas, accessing healthy food is often a matter of time, money, and transportation—luxuries they simply don’t have.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “about 10 percent of the approximately 65,000 census tracts in the U.S. are food deserts. About 13.5 million people in these census tracts have low access to sources of healthful food” [13]. This highlights the stark reality that millions of Americans are living in food deserts, where the barriers to healthy eating are not just about preference, but about access and affordability [14]. In her reflection, the UCLA student also noted a stark disparity in food access when comparing her community in Inglewood to wealthier neighboring areas. In Century City, residents have access to high-end grocery stores, specialty food markets, and an overall higher standard of living—an example of the systemic inequities that exist between rich and poor communities, not only in terms of food but across all aspects of urban life.

Areas like Century City, which is home to some of the wealthiest zip codes in Los Angeles, have an abundance of grocery stores, upscale markets, and farmers' markets that provide fresh, nutritious food year-round. Residents here can easily shop at stores like Whole Foods Market, Ralphs, Sprouts, and Gelson's, which offer a wide variety of organic and high-quality options [15]. To quantify this, the total area of Inglewood is 9.1mi2, whereas Century City has a total area of 1.4mi2. Century City and  Inglewood, both have roughly 5 well-known grocery stores despite their noticeable difference in land size. The issue here is that even with 9 times the area of Century City, there are the same amount of well-known grocery stores in Inglewood, a much smaller neighborhood [16].

On the other hand, many low-income communities across Los Angeles are miles away from their nearest grocery store and may only have access to convenience stores or fast food outlets, where nutritious options are scarce and often unaffordable. This stark divide highlights the disparities in food access that contribute to wider health inequities: wealthier communities experience better access to nutritious food while low-income neighborhoods struggle to obtain even basic necessities.

Although the cynical truth about food deserts is to be highlighted, there are solutions that can be proposed to help the marginalized communities affected by food deserts [17]. For instance, there have been multiple communities within the city of Inglewood that have addressed the issue of their community being a food desert. Urban gardens are being made by the Inglewood community where they are growing fruits and vegetables as a way to have access to healthy foods [18]. The people of Inglewood describe this initiative as a way to have “affordable organic” food [19]. This initiative highlights the lack of healthier grocery options in these communities. Further, it evinces the societal awareness that marginalized communities have towards their health and lifestyles.

Additionally, research has offered other solutions that can increase healthy food outlets and grocery stores in food deserts. Food deserts are the result of the lack of grocery stores within a centralized area. However, if there was a way to get more grocery stores in a community, the food desert issue would subside. In order to do so, one must incentivize grocery stores to move into these low-income communities as well as offer a large variety of organic, healthy, and equitable food [20]. There have been attempts by states, such as Pennsylvania or Maryland, to incentivize grocery store buildings in low-income commutes. Such incentivization can be presented through tax breaks or credits towards the produce retailers located in low-income communities. Through this solution, these states were able to entice existing and new produce retailers to locate or increase their healthy food options in low-income areas where food deserts were plaguing the communities [21]. Yet, research has shown that these little acts of incentive have not been effective due to the fact that operating costs have often outnumbered the revenue coming into establishments in marginalized communities. If change is vital for the community's survival, which it is in a food desert, the incentive for grocery stores to come in low-income communities needs to be more than mere promises. Instead, there needs to be an economic or social reward they would receive for locating themselves in food desert communities [22]. 

Finally, updating zoning laws can revitalize the healthy food outlets in food deserts. As iterated previously, zoning laws have played a large part in preventing equitable accessibility to a variety of grocery stores. By updating zoning ordinances, there is an opportunity to incentivize food outlets such as pop-up markets and food trucks that would give the community an opportunity to gain better access to healthy food options [23]. Furthermore, updating zoning ordinances can potentially create more agricultural areas where fresh produce can be grown. [24].

In conclusion, food deserts continue to affect low-income and marginalized communities, limiting access to nutritious food and contributing to rising health issues like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The rise of food deserts is not just an accident of geography; it is a reflection of inequitable urban planning, often influenced by zoning laws that prioritize the development of fast-food chains and commercial establishments over grocery stores and other community-oriented businesses. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach—one that includes changes to zoning laws, a commitment to food equity, and a focus on ensuring that all communities have access to the healthy food options they deserve.