Not Psychology but Public Health as my 2nd Field!

Hello classmates! I hope your final study preparations are going well. Sorry for the delay in posting... So here is an update posting in my beloved but slightly forgotten blog. Amused enough? Alright, alright enough sarcastic jokes from me. Serious crunch time... starts... NOW.

While writing my research paper and reflecting back to the comments that my classmates had made, I realized that I was focusing my attention on a field that was not deeply related to my research topic of food deserts. Public health is the field that I am supposed to be advocating for! So, my fellow classmates, I am deeply regretful for misinforming you regarding my other field of research.

I finished writing my Assignment 4 about a week ago but I could have made my argument about why food deserts is a public policy and a public health problem in Los Angeles County. Many of my classmates, and most people in general, are not aware with the terminology of "food deserts". The presentation that I gave to my peers in my opinion was direct and opened a new way of thinking about social policy issues that occur in our world.

My personal interview with my former professor, LaVonna Lewis, Ph.D. was extremely informative in strengthening my arguments in proposing a grassroots, community-based approach to policy. Throughout the interview, Professor Lewis emphasized that public education must be implemented at the grassroots level when transforming an urban food environment. Education about healthy nutrition to community residents is necessary especially to younger generation as children are the ones that are at the highest risk for obesity and other health related diseases.

The lack of access to healthy food is believed to be a key factor in the obesity epidemic and the reason for current policy initiatives against “food deserts”.

As a Los Angeles native, I find it unbelievable that unhealthy food choices are ubiquitous in an urban, metropolitan city. It contradicts the promotion of current society's healthy food movement. While campaigns such as Michelle Obama's Let's Move! try to combat health issues associated with unhealthy eating habits, these campaigns seem ineffective without intervention from policy makers, the food retailing industry, grocery store developers, and the involvement of members of the community. Food deserts are a public health issue but this problem can be solved over time if there is a dynamic, grassroots approach and lots of support from all members of the community.