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Fast Food and Deprivation in Nova Scotia
Introduction
The rate of obesity has increased in Canada among the youth by over 10% since 1979. By 2004, 23.1% of all Canadians were categorized as stout and 36.1% were overweight. Several studies have been conducted to try and find the relationship between the environment and the high increase in the level of obesity. Additionally, if the socially deprived individuals tend to live in areas close with similar conditions, they are more likely to suffer from there is a positive association between the two communities. Nova Scotia has a high obesity pervasiveness and overweight issues that can be credited to his dietary behaviors and poor life choices (Statistics Canada, 35). Generally, most fast foods are likely to be located in urban areas which is characterized by less or none physical deprivation and more emotional deprivation. Deprivation in this instance would mean the relation between the social and material disadvantage. In Nova Scotia, it has been observed that physical deprivation tends to reside more in rural areas as compared to emotional deprivation. The case is however the opposite in urban areas. This however does not imply that that there isn’t material deprivation in urban areas. The situation just seems to mask itself. The results largely rely on the data collected hence will in a way end of disguising the real condition as it is. However, obesity and overweight may be more rampant in the more destitute communities, and this consequently leads to the assumption that most unhealthy food retailers, especially fast food restaurants are most likely to be located in these areas. There may be a higher number of fast food restaurants in the urban areas as a result of the general demography of the region and the marketing approaches in use. This will largely affect the overall demand the for the fast food products. There is a rampant increase in the number of fast food restaurants in Nova scotia and you will find that most Canadians will spend up to $400 yearly on fast food. This in turn has led to an overall increase in the total sales made per year by fast food restaurants up to approximately $35.1 billion (Statistics Canada, 35). Although some people may argue that the low standards of living may lead to high frequency of the tendencies of fast food, other arguments show that this is not always the case. People must not always associate unhealthy fast foods with low standards of living. Studies show that the low standards of living have a negative relation to the reliance on unhealthy fast foods. A census carried out in England and Scotland found a higher number of consumers in Mc Donald’s restaurants per the overall thousands of population in the lower social economic areas as compared to other. A similar study was carried out in Glasgow and from the results, it was derived that there was no relation between restaurants, including fast chains, and the areas, which mainly consisted of people living below the poverty level (Statistics Canada, 35). Conclusion The results of the study carried out may not in the end be the concise truth; this is so because the study was restricted to one specific province. One should not view fast food restaurants and immediately associate them with low-income earners in the community. In some instances we may find that there is an increase in the number of fast food restaurants in a particular area as a result of a specific or unique character that makes the region so different from the others. Future studies carried out should try to venture into other subjects that may have resulted in the high prevalence of obesity and unhealthy foods in Nova Scotia; this could include television and internet, availability of facilities for physical exercises. And other health promoting attributes that may play a role in the overall health of the community. In addition, the choice of the method of carrying out the study may have affected the results of the study. The adoption of the ecological cross-sectional study design in the analysis may not be exactly a limitation or the interpretation of the results but it limits the discussion of the relationship of the fast food density and deprivation to the community level and not the individual level. Additionally, only common fast food restaurants were used in the research and some were left out which to some extent would render the study inconclusive.

Work Cited
Statistics Canada. Measured Obesity: Adult Obesity in Canada. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Issue no. 1. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 82-620-MWE, 2005.