Martha must drive twenty miles to get to the nearest grocery store. she often buys her daily items from a convenience store near her home, where healthy options are hard to come by. a sociologist might describe her neighborhood as

In the case with Martha, a sociologist might describe her neighborhood as a "Food Desert".

Food deserts are defined as areas or parts of the country which are vapid of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. This is because in these low income communities, consumers are less interested in buying produce since they are more expensive compared to processed foods.