Food Environments

Food environments refer to the physical, social, economic, and cultural surroundings that influence the types of food available, accessible, and affordable to people. They include factors like the availability of grocery stores, restaurants, farmers' markets, and vending machines, as well as advertising, pricing, and social norms around eating. A healthy food environment supports nutritious choices and overall well-being, while an unhealthy one may promote consumption of processed, high-calorie foods, contributing to health issues like obesity and diabetes. Essentially, food environments shape what and how we eat daily.