The food environment in the community of my internship on the upper west side consists of a food desert full of many unhealthy decisions. The only healthy options available is a whole foods located a block away from the site. The community holds multiple fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Dunking donuts, and pizza shops. Based on patient demographics, a large portion of patients seen at Ryan health center are diabetic and or pre-diabetic. The clinic is based on a community care initiative, for which foresees the care of multiple patients in the area. The group of diabetic patients that are treated at the site are also seen by a nutritionist if necessary, which would bridge the gap to patients that need education on healthy eating options.
On the other hand the obesity and diabetes percentages in the community are relatively low based on the community health profiles of 2015. District 7 is considered to have a 4% of adults to be diagnosed with diabetes. As a whole 7% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes in Manhattan thus, the 4% that makes up the district is considerably low. On the other hand, the leading cause of death in the district is heart disease which takes about 2,146 lives for every 100,000 of the population. Although some of the numbers don’t correlate with the amount of patients seen at the clinic, about 89% of the upper west side claims to be in excellent or very good health in comparison to the upper east side that has 92% of people who claim to be in good health. Ultimately I believe that the data collected on the district might be slightly outdated considering that the community is constantly undergoing change. Change that involves new food spots, as well as neighborhood conditions, and health care.
References:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/data/data-publications/profiles.page
Health Care Is Not A Privileged Its A Right! 
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