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Supermarket shortages have been identified in many American urban neighborhoods, and such gaps in food access have been closely correlated with diet-related diseases such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. The shortage began when many supermarkets left mixed-income central city neighborhoods after civil disturbances in the late 1960s and 1970s.〔Ferguson, Bruce and Barbara Abell. "Attracting Supermarkets to Inner-City Neighborhoods: Economic Development Outside the Box." Economic Development Commentary. Winter 1998, pp. 6-14.〕 Studies suggest that 21 of America's largest cities are experiencing an "urban grocery gap" that is characterized by fewer stores and less square footage per store.〔Cotterill, R.W. and A.W. Franklin. 1995. ''The Urban Grocery Store Gap''. Food Marketing Policy Center Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Conn.〕 The poorest neighborhoods typically have about 55% of the grocery square footage of the best-off neighborhoods.〔 The migration of supermarkets to the suburbs and a lack of transportation contribute to the malnutrition experienced by low-income Americans who live in under-served urban neighborhoods. Healthy foods are also more expensive and less available in poor areas. Simultaneously, there is a lower prevalence of independently owned grocery stores in low-wealth and predominantly Black neighborhoods and a greater proportion of households without access to private transportation in these neighborhoods.〔Morland et al. "The Contextual Effect of the Local Food Environment on Residents’ Diets," ''American Journal of Public Health''. November 2002, Vol. 92, No. 11〕 Studies show that cost is the most significant predictor of dietary choices, so healthy eating is especially difficult for the poor, for whom healthier foods are generally unaffordable.〔Morland et al. "Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with Location of Food Stores and Food Service Places." American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 2002. Vol. 22, No. 1. pp. 23-29.〕 Meanwhile, supermarkets generally provide food at cheaper prices than the bodegas and pharmacies that service inner-city areas. A study that compared supermarkets, neighborhood groceries, convenience stores, and health food stores in San Diego, California found that supermarkets had twice the average number of 'heart-healthy' foods compared to neighborhood grocery stores and four times the average number of such foods compared to convenience stores.〔 In many American cities, an urban grocery gap has caused a lack of access to healthy foods, high prices for the healthy foods that are available, and the health problems that result from an unhealthy diet. ==Causes== Grocery stores typically have only 1-2% profit margins,〔Goldstein, Amy. "In Cities, Healthful Living Through Fresher Shopping." ''The Washington Post.'' (Maryland Edition) Oct. 15. 2006.〕 so the difficulties involved in running an urban supermarket are often seen as too costly in an already-risky business. A combination of other factors make urban neighborhoods seem less-than-ideal for grocery store executives. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Supermarket shortage」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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