ABSTRACT
R. Penchansky and J. A. Thomas conceptualized a model of food access that included five dimensions relevant in the health care setting; availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and accommodation. The food environment and diet relationship are two important related factors to obtaining nutritious foods and affordability of available options. Acceptability refers to food quality and accommodation generally refers to the number of hours a particular local store is open. The Healthy Food Financing Initiative was developed in 2010 as an effort to improve the accessibility to grocery stores, corner stores, and farmers markets in the communities considered food deserts. Restaurants will also be required to provide written nutrition information as well, which will provide the full nutrition facts of the menu items. This Menu Labeling Rule will, again, provide additional opportunities for consumers to be aware of food choices and also make them more aware at every meal as to what they are consuming.
