Patients prescribed diets, including the 1500 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Diet, are required to consume specific products and avoid those that can lead to adverse health outcomes. However, such regimens may be challenging to maintain as they are both extensive, and the allowed foods are not available at all grocery and convenience stores. This essay will reflect on the shopping experience and whether the patient will be able to follow the prescribed diet.
Overall, the trip to a local Wawa convenience store was quite stressful. The chosen diet required us to analyze each item’s nutritional content, which was time-consuming. In addition, the needed information was not always easy to read, and most of it was printed in small font, resulting in some difficulties. Furthermore, the selection of nutritious foods in a convenience store is relatively low compared to a grocery store. Although the shop offered some healthy options and a good selection of fruits, the vegetable assortment was limited. Notably, more nourishing options were much costlier than unhealthy ones, adding to the frustration of the shopping experience.
This trip raised significant concerns about the patient being able to maintain the prescribed diet. Considering the available options, one week of groceries would cost approximately 150$ for one person. Taking into account that the patient’s father is an unemployed single parent with three dependents with no access to a vehicle, he would not be able to provide the client with the required diet. The closest supermarket to the family’s home is 5.3 miles away, resulting in limited access to healthy foods. Overall, the shopping experience showed that people living in socioeconomically deprived areas are likely to have the most unsatisfactory health outcomes.
They do not have access to nutritious foods and often opt for cheaper options high in sugar or carbohydrates. For me, as a future healthcare provider, the situation is frustrating. It is aggravating that people from low-income areas are forced to choose unhealthy options based solely on their price.
In summary, I learned that patients’ health is contingent on their lifestyle and income, leading to people from deprived areas suffering adverse outcomes. This knowledge will certainly impact my care of future patients, especially those in vulnerable positions. In the future, I will try to provide clients with prescribed specific diets with a list of healthy and affordable options and conduct research on where better to shop for inexpensive, nutritious foods.