For decades, millions of Americans—especially those living in low-income communities—have suffered as grocery stores and fresh, affordable, food has disappeared from their neighborhoods. Without access to healthy foods, a nutritious diet and good health are unattainable. And without grocery stores and other fresh-food retailers, communities are missing the commercial centers that help local economies thrive.
Additionally, the increasingly alarming rates of obesity and related chronic diseases that may be linked to poor diets, such as diabetes and heart disease, have become a major public health concern in the United States. It has been proven that the lack of access to healthy foods is a major contributor to the country’s growing obesity epidemic. This has only further emphasized the importance of access to healthy foods. So, while it has taken years for the problem of inequitable access to healthy foods to be addressed, attention to this critical issue has finally been brought to the national policy debate.
(earthhippy.com/ever-been-to-a-farmers-market)The Institute for Public Administration, at the request of and with funding from the Delaware Division of Public Health, began research on the issue to determine the extent of inequitable access to healthy foods among all Delawareans. IPA’s responsibilities included compiling a list of all recognized healthy-food establishments in the state and mapping locations using GIS software. IPA’s research was presented at a May 2011 forum, organized by and in collaboration with the Delaware Coalition for Healthy Eating and Active Living (DE HEAL) and the Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association.
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It is hoped that continuing research on the issue will encourage a local, state, and national attention and allow policymakers to explore solutions that address the role that access to healthy food plays in promoting healthy economies, healthy communities, and healthy people.
For more information, contact Eric Jacobson (302-831-1711).
