The quality of dollar store groceries may contribute to serious health issues, a new study has warned. While consumers may choose cheaper outlets for their food, the quality of food from dollar stores has been linked to higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. That's according to research from UC Riverside, published in BMC Public Health, which says the rising cost of groceries has prompted some U.S. households to shop for food at dollar stores to lower household expenses.
The study analyzed dollar store food's impact on customers' health using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 500 Cities Project, acknowledging that previous studies have not classified dollar stores as grocery stores. The 500 Cities project was a public health surveillance initiative across the country estimating chronic disease risk factors, health outcomes and preventative services across the 500 largest cities in the U.S. Study first author Ryan Bruellman said in a statement to EurekAlert! that "higher grocery costs are pushing people to buy highly processed, lower quality food at dollar stores, and it is negatively impacting their health in a similar way to fast food." The researchers found that most regions in the U.S. within close proximity to dollar stores were linked to adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
He warned, however, that it is the quality of food rather than the price that causes health problems. The solution, he said, is not having fewer dollar stores, but urging policymakers to look at different options. This could include partnerships with local farmers to offer more fruit and vegetables, or encouraging more food banks and farmers markets—but, "ideally, you'd have the healthier options available inside the dollar store." Bruellman used ArcGIS software to map data and analyze distribution, learning how many dollar stores were within a 10-minute drive of residential areas, and combining this with a social vulnerability index.
This index, a tool from the CDC, identifies communities that may need extra support when it comes to public health crises. Bruellman's research found a significant effect on consumer health across all regions, with greater influence in areas with a higher ratio of dollar stores to traditional grocery stores. Results also varied across cities, as some areas have bodegas or small, independent grocery stores, whose influence is not captured in the data.
It is believed, however, that the presence of these smaller stores likely lessened the impacts of dollar store grocery shopping. Bruellman said he hopes his study encourages lawmakers to look at ways to expand people's access to healthier food options. Shy Vishnumohan, PhD, APD—accredited practicing dietitian and food scientist, told Newsweek that people "make food choices within the budget, time and shops available to them." And while she warned against saying dollar store food "causes" health problems, rather that an "association" has been shown in the study, it raises an "important question" about affordable food.
"Affordable food doesn’t have to mean nutritionally poor food. Retailers can make a meaningful difference by offering more practical staples such as frozen and canned vegetables, beans, whole grains, eggs, dairy and other affordable protein foods," she said. As she put it: "The answer isn’t to shame people for where they shop.
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