The Colorado Health Foundation recently released a report, "Food Access in Colorado," defining the impact of "food deserts," on those living in the affected areas – and the more complex toll of food inaccessibility on the health of Colorado and the nation.
Food deserts are considered pockets with limited access to affordable, healthy food. The foundation's report points to two seemingly disparate areas in Colorado: urban neighborhoods and rural communities, both of which include low-income swaths with few sources for nutritious food.
Could access to healthy food really be a critical issue for the only state with an obesity rate of less than 20 percent?
Yes, according to a 2008 Colorado Health Report Card, which found that more Coloradans are overweight and obese than ever before. And Colorado children in households with incomes less than $25,000 a year are three times more likely to be obese than children in households with incomes more than $75,000. Considering this year's KidsCount in Colorado! report found that the number of children living in poverty in Colorado has increased 85 percent since 2000 - with the youngest children most likely to be living in extreme poverty, the obesity rates could increase even more.
It makes sense that families with access to fresh food (and limited access to fast food) tend to have more stable, healthier diets, as well as fewer health problems and lower rates of chronic diseases. But families with little money and limited transportation options have fewer opportunities for finding fresh food.
In fact, according to the Colorado Health Foundation, the number of grocery stores in the lowest-income neighborhoods, nationwide, is almost 30 percent less than the number of stores in the most affluent areas. And when you consider the closest one may be several miles or a number of bus stops away, the chances are significantly less that struggling families will end up with fresh vegetables on the dinner table.
The report also finds that key to increasing a family's likelihood of eating more nutritious foods is providing food education through existing federal programs like Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, school nutrition programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously referred to as the Food Stamp Program.
These federal programs, along with the cooperation of private foundations and the affected communities, too, can increase the number of food sources and means for obtaining fresh food. It's a large challenge, but the Colorado Health Foundation concludes that increasing access to food in Colorado's food deserts will decrease the state's obesity rate, as well as drive down the rate of chronic disease and health care costs.
See a sidebar with additional statistics about Colorado's hungry and malnourished.
Have other suggestions for solving Colorado's food accessibility issues? Join the conversation.
See a video about the range of impact of transporting food long distances:
Watch This Video.
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