America is by far one of the richest and most powerful nations in the world. But for being such a power and a beacon of opportunity, the United States struggles to provide families with enough food. Areas of the country that lack an adequate food supply are known as food deserts. The term food desert can be used to describe areas with limited resources and little or no access to fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. It is almost impossible to access affordable and nutritious food in food deserts. About 2.3 million Americans live more than a mile from a supermarket and don't have a car. This equates to about 2.2 percent of all American households. These statistics match data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. Reports also indicate that some of these areas include large rural areas of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, as well as urban areas like New York, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. The people residing in the majority of these food deserts are predominantly African-American. Because people who live in food deserts do not receive appropriate supplements of fruits and vegetables, much of their diet consists primarily of junk food, fast food, and meats. As a result, today, more than a third of American adults are obese. Besides obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can also result from a lack of healthy food choices, due to people buying their food from convenience stores selling only processed foods and fast food restaurants. This article attempts to provide readers with a better understanding that not only do food deserts exist, but they threaten the lives of Americans...... middle of article...... Hobbiss, A. Food Deserts and How to Tackle Them: A Study of One City's Approach. Health Education Journal, 137-149. Holzman, D.C. (April 1, 2010). Food Deserts and How to Fix It: A Study of One City's Approach: White House Proposes Healthy Food Funding Initiative. Environmental Health Perspectives. Journal of Health Education June 2000 vol. 59 no. 2 137-149Ploeg, M. ver; Breneman, V.; Farrigan, T.; Hamrick, K.; Hopkins, D.; Kaufman, P.; Lin, BH; North, M.; Blacksmith, T.; Williams, R.; Kinnison, Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress ([Rev. September 3, 2009] ed.). (2009). Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Shaw, HJ (2006), Food deserts: towards the development of a classification. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human geography, 88: 231–247.