By Patricia Carter
June 2, 2008

A recent study conducted at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examined the relationships between retail food environments, obesity and diabetes, and community income. The study demonstrates that people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and fresh produce vendors, have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes. The highest rates of obesity and diabetes are among people who live in lower-income communities and have worse food environments. Authors of the study, Designed for Disease: the Link between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes, urge policy makers to consider the following strategies for improving local food environments:

• Increase access to healthy foods by providing incentives for retail store development and improvement.

• Promote retail innovations, including smaller-scale markets selling health foods.

• Maximize the opportunities presented by the changes in the WIC food package.

• Implement zoning designed to limit fast-food restaurants in overburdened communities.

• Require menu labeling.

Selecting what policies are right for a given city will require local analysis and planning. To learn more about what localities across the country are doing to fight childhood obesity, join the Mayors’ Healthy Cities Campaign. The Campaign is addressing the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic by educating leaders about the impact of public policies on the health of children and providing information about policies and programs that support active living and access to healthy foods. To join the campaign go to: http://www.usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities_registration.asp or contact Patricia Carter at PCarter@usmayors.org