When I learned about Wal-Mart's new 5-year strategy, I was immediately surprised and applauded the positive efforts of this mega corporation to acknowledge and address the health of their consumers. However, while not ignoring this perhaps significant small step, I think there are several questions to raise about their efforts, when examining the larger picture.

Wal-Mart claims they can address the problem of food deserts by building more stores, but while on the one hand, it might lead to increased access to fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, what happens to the small businesses, local grocers and farmers that will be pushed out by the incoming chain? And one might say this will result in more jobs in the community, but has Wal-Mart cleaned up their labor rights violations?

Wal-Mart also plans to reduce sugar, salt and fat content in their brand of packaged foods over the next five years -- meanwhile still promoting hyper-processed, cheap, calorie-dense, nutrient-low foods, filled with artificial ingredients, preservatives, and other unpronounceable words. 

Lastly, they plan to reduce the price of fruits and vegetables -- this has great potential as it may help make fruits and vegetables more affordable and accessible, but will it be cheaper than the hyper-processed foods? And will it be enough to shift the culture of convenience we've become so accustomed to -- a food culture that relies heavily on packaged, convenient, processed foods?

As a public health and food justice advocate, I do support any efforts food corporations make to address their role in the obesity crisis, but I think there are still many answers we need to seek before jumping too quickly onto the Walmart bandwagon.