I think this must be deeply connected to the general idea of the South as ‘fat.’ If you can’t get to the store all that often or easily, I bet you get lots of highly processed, shelf-stable, pretty unhealthy stuff when you do go.

gregleding:

From Slate: Food Deserts in America

A 2009 study by the Department of Agriculture found that 2.3 million households do not have access to a car and live more than a mile from a supermarket. Much of the public health debate over rising obesity rates has turned to these “food deserts,” where convenience store fare is more accessible—and more expensive—than healthier options farther away. This map colors each county in America by the percentage of households in food deserts, according to the USDA’s definition. Data is not available for Alaska and Hawaii.

Only four counties in Arkansas fall into the lowest tier: Benton, Craighead, Sebastian, and Washington (where Fayetteville is located). Of those four, Washington County fares the best, with only 1.83 percent of the population living more than a mile from a supermarket while lacking access to a car. Phillips County fares the worst, with 14.76 percent of its population lacking easy access to healthy options.