Urban Diet and the Urban Poor

This photo was take at the Tunpuna market. A display of vegetables from a local farmer. Within our urban areas there not only exist the affluent but, also the very urban poor. This pictures shows some of the healthy choices that many urban poor are unable to acquire due to their socio-sconomic status. It shows the choices that are often neglected eve though poorer persons have obtained enough purchasing power. It shows us the choices poor urbanites may neglect, not escaping the ever reaching effects of globalization. In addition, the abundance of minerals and vitamins provided by these items in the photo are often absent from the many diets or poor urban dwellers. Increasing their vulnerability to nutrient deficiencies and dietary problems. 

In previous posts I have talked about urbanites using their disposable incomes to purchase fast food or street food. What about those that do not have the luxury of doing so? What about the urban poor?  Disparities in food consumption are as a result of high socio- economic differences among urban dwellers. The urban poor are often targets of food insecurity often due to the fluctuations of their meager salaries and are also located in squatter settlements or slums which harbor poor environmental conditions. The urban poor are also vulnerable to food security as food and other needs compete for their small salaries and there is often lack of family and neigbourhood ties within urban areas (Delishe 1990).

The choice of food among persons is often determined by culture, ecology admits other factors. However, among the urban poor this choice is constrained by socio-economic factors such as income. Nutrient deficiencies are often associated with the urban poor as they are unable to afford high nutrient or high energy foods. However, even though poor urbanites are constrained their choices in foods are often those which are inferior (Delishe 1990). The urban poor are not hidden away from the effects of globalization and commercial advertisements, and often purchase the foods which are nutrient poor adding to their nutritional vulnerability. In East Port of Spain such as Beetham and Sea Lots, where the less powerful and least privilege reside, their lack of opportunities to employment, stigma and dilapidated surroundings increases their vulnerability to food security.

 However, in St Clair where the socio-economic status is quite the opposite, persons obtain food security easily.  Due to the lack of specific data it is difficult to declare that persons in east Port of Spain are highly under nourished due to their socio-economic status.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Some-causes-of-poverty-in-East-Port-of-Spain-209435071.html

References

Delishe, Helene. 1990. Patterns of Urban Food Consumption in Developing Countries: Perspective From the 1980’s. Accessed March 15, 2014. ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/nutrition/urban/delisle_paper.pdf.