Commentary: Why do poor Americans eat so unhealthfully? Because junk food is the only indulgence they can afford

The verdict is in: Food deserts don't drive nutritional disparities in the United States the way we thought. Over the last decade, study after study has shown that differences in access to healthful food can't fully explain why wealthy Americans consume a more healthful diet than poor Americans.

If food deserts aren't to blame, then what is?

I've spent the better part of a decade working to answer this question. I interviewed 73 California families - more than 150 parents and kids - and spent