Poor diets, poor access and the health crisis facing Island’s most vulnerable
MANITOULIN —In a healthcare desert like Manitoulin Island, where low-income families face rising grocery bills and long waits for specialist care, the latest global findings on diet and disease carry a heavy weight.
A sweeping new study published in Nature Medicine analyzed more than 60 previous reports and delivered a clear and chilling message: there is no safe amount of processed meat, sugary drinks, or trans fats. Published in Nature Medicine, the study analyzed over 60 past reports and found that just one daily hot dog increases a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 percent and colorectal cancer by seven percent. A single can of soda raises the risk of diabetes by eight percent and heart disease by two percent. No level of consumption was considered “safe.”
“This research confirms what public health professionals and community advocates have long warned: poverty is a health crisis,” said Dr. Demewoz Haile, lead author and research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle.
But here on Manitoulin, where living off the land is no longer as accessible for many and where food bank usage has surged to record levels this year, making “healthy choices” often means choosing between rent and real food.
For too many local families, healthy eating is less about willpower and more about survival. Grocery costs are climbing. Fresh options are hard to come by without a vehicle. Affordable housing is vanishing. And basic health care? Still out of reach for hundreds across the Island.
Poverty, Processed Foods and the Hidden Cost of Convenience
In previous Expositor reports, we’ve documented how families in Gore Bay, Little Current, and beyond are relying more heavily on food banks — many of which are seeing supplies run low by mid-month. The most readily available options for those without vehicles or grocery budgets are often shelf-stable, calorie-dense and heavily processed.
It’s not hard to understand why hot dogs, sugary drinks and boxed meals dominate grocery carts when they’re cheap, non-perishable, and easy to prepare after a long day of shift work or child-rearing without childcare.
As previously reported by The Expositor, living without a family doctor — a reality for many Manitoulin residents — compounds the harm. Preventative screenings for diabetes and colon cancer are delayed or missed. Nutrition guidance is rare. And chronic illness is too often discovered only after a crisis sends someone to the ER — if they can even get there.
The Role of Systemic Neglect
Nutrition professor Gunter Kuhnle of the University of Reading in the U.K. cautions that it’s not just the food itself — it’s the bigger picture of structural inequality. People who eat more processed food often also face low income, housing insecurity, stress, smoking and limited access to care.
On Manitoulin, those dots are already connected. As previously reported in our coverage of local health — traditional foods — once the foundation of community nutrition — have become harder to access due to environmental degradation, high fuel costs, and the legacy of colonial food disruption.
“Don’t panic,” said Professor Kuhnle. “Food is more than nutrients — it’s culture, connection, joy.” But for too many here, the joy has long been stripped from food and replaced with shame, fatigue, and survival math.
What Can Be Done?
Nutrition experts and public health researchers agree: perfection isn’t the goal. But equitable access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and culturally relevant foods should be. That means investments in local food systems, land-based education, community gardens, and fair wages — not just diet lectures from afar.
As we’ve reported, several local organizations are already pushing for change: hosting workshops, building seed libraries, distributing wild rice and moose meat and running mobile food banks to reach elders and isolated families.
But as this latest study reminds us, these efforts are not fringe. They are urgent. Because every hot dog eaten in hunger is not a lifestyle choice — it’s a warning sign. And we ignore it at our peril.
What’s in Your Cart? The Hidden Risks in Everyday Foods
Processed Meats (hot dogs, bacon, deli meats): Linked to cancer due to nitrites and saturated fats
Sugary Drinks (soda, iced teas): Drive inflammation, weight gain and blood sugar imbalance
Trans Fats (fried foods, baked snacks): Raise LDL cholesterol and increase heart disease risk
When resources allow, consider:
Beans, lentils, rice, and oats — affordable staples with high nutritional value
Frozen fruits and vegetables, often cheaper and just as nutritious
Tap water or homemade teas over soda
Locally sourced game, fish, or hunted meat shared within community
