Keeps the doctor away…or, perhaps you could just pick one up along with your Walgreens prescription. First however, Walgreens would have to roll out food oasis produce stands nationwide like those they developed in response to analysis and community requests in cities like Seattle and Chicago.

Clearly in Phoenix we did something wrong. SLHI collaborated to conduct the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS) in Maryvale and Canyon Corridor roughly a year ago, using a process whereby neighborhood residents enter stores and assess the nutritional value of offerings. Walgreens was one of very few retail outlets to disallow survey takers on their premises, both in terms of local managers and in terms of the corporate office not responding to inquiries.

According to researchers, the impact of living in a food desert – an area that lacks reasonable access to healthy foods – can be measured in years of life, which makes perfect sense if you ask Hippocrates. What makes less sense is for a large, well-resourced retailer to ignore an existing retail option for increasing sales. After all, NEMS serves almost like a retail demand study. The people of Maryvale want healthier options. All that remains is for business people with viable options to respond.