Transcript Eliminating Food Deserts in Urban Communities in Georgia’s Urban Communities. Shabreka Walden, MPH student Walden University PUBH 6165-2 Instructor: Dr.

Eliminating Food Deserts in Urban
Communities in Georgia’s Urban Communities.
Shabreka Walden,
MPH student
Walden University
PUBH 6165-2
Instructor: Dr. Patrick Tschida
Spring, 2012
Agenda:
 Introduction
 Food Desert definition
 Description of Georgia’s
 Key Recommendations
 Recommendations
 Conclusion
Target Audience:
• Georgia Family Connection
Partnership
• Georgia Supermarket Access Task
Force
• Food Trust Organization and the
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
• Media
• Policy Makers
What is a Food Desert?
– A food desert is considered as a low-income
census tract where a substantial number or
share of residents has low access to a
supermarket or large grocery store.
Breneman, Vince. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodDesert/documentation.html
Where you live determines
your quality of life:
Middle class/Affluent
Communities
• Grocery Stores
• Better
performing
schools
• Sidewalks
• Safe Parks
• Good Public
Transportation
Good Health
Status
Poor Health
Status
Low Income
Communities
• Fast Food
Restaurants
• Liquor Stores
• Unsafe/Limited
Parks
• Poor Performing
• Schools
• Increased
Pollution and
Toxic Waste Sites
• Limited Public
Transportation
Georgia
•
The situation in Georgia is not unique; a nationwide study of over
28,000 ZIP codes found that low-income ZIP codes have 25
percent fewer per capita supermarkets than middle-income ZIP
codes.
• The lack of access to affordable and nutritious food has a negative
impact on the health of children and families. A growing body of
research indicates that people who live in communities without a
supermarket suffer from disproportionately high rates of obesity,
diabetes and other diet-related health problems. In contrast, when
people live in a community with a supermarket, they tend to eat
more servings of fruits and vegetables and are more likely to
maintain a healthy weight.
Breneman, Vince. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodDesert/documentation.html
Georgia
Heart Disease and
Stroke
Georgia
Barriers:
•
•
•
•
•
Commute times
Poor selections
Limited time
Fuel prices
Distance
Who is most affected?
• Nearly two million Georgia residents,
including close to 500,000 children, live in
lower income areas with poor supermarket
access.
Food for Every Child: The Need for More Supermarkets in Georgia. (2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.thefoodtrust.org/pdf/Georgia_mappingHighRes.pdf
Key Recommendations:
•
•
•
•
Grant and loan program
Tax incentives
Conduct research
Involve the community in policy making.
Conclusion:
References:
• Breneman, Vince. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodDesert/documentation.html
• Jilcott SB, Liu H, Moore JB, Bethel JW, Wilson J, Ammerman AS. “Commute times, food
retail gaps, and body mass index in North Carolina counties”. Prev Chronic Dis
2010;7(5):A107. Retrieved
from: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/sep/09_0208.htm.
• Flournoy, R. (2011). “Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities”. Retrieved from:
http://www.policylink.org/atf/cf/%7B97c6d565-bb43-406d-a6d5eca3bbf35af0%7D/HFHC_FULL_FINAL.PDF
• Giang,T, Harries, C. and st and David Treering, Food for Every Child: The Need for More
Supermarkets in Georgia. (2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.thefoodtrust.org/pdf/Georgia_mappingHighRes.pdf