Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes

Overview

Examines the correlation between the health of nearly 40,000 Californians and the mix of retail food outlets near their homes finding that people living in neighborhoods crowded with fast-food and convenience stores but relatively few grocery or produce outlets are at significantly higher risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes.

Effects of Proximity to Supermarkets on a Randomized Trial Studying Interventions for Obesity

Overview

This study assessed whether proximity to a supermarket modified the effects of an obesity intervention for participating children aged 6 to 12 years with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile. Authors found that living closer to a supermarket is associated with greater improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and weight status in an obesity intervention. 

March 2016

An Equitable Food System

Overview

Part of a series of issue briefs dedicated to helping community leaders and policymakers bolster their campaigns and strategies with the economic case for equity.

Temptation at Checkout: The Food Industry’s Sneaky Strategy for Selling More Webinar

Overview

Webinar attendees learned from a 30-minute presentation by the report's co-author, Jessica Almy, Senior Nutrition Policy Counsel at CSPI. Following the presentation, Jessica addressed questions from webinar attendees.
 

Temptation at Checkout: The Food Industry’s Sneaky Strategy for Selling More Full Report

Overview

This report examines one reason why it is so difficult to eat well in America today: retail marketing manipulates food choices (Kerr, 2012). We conclude that with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases due to poor nutrition, the retail environment should be
shaped not only by economic drivers but also by public health considerations. We propose beginning with the checkout aisles of retail stores, where the vast majority of purchases are unplanned. By rethinking checkout, retailers could support their customers’ health, rather
than pushing the consumption of extra—and often unwanted—calories from candy, soda, and other unhealthy foods and beverages.

The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America 2014

Overview

In this report, we focus on some of the highest-impact approaches, including implementation of policies to: increase physical activity before, during and after school; offer nutritious food and beverages at school; make healthy, affordable food prevalent in all communities; ensure healthy food and beverage marketing practices; engage healthcare professionals to more effectively prevent obesity both within and outside the clinic walls, in collaboration with community partners; and intensify our focus on prevention in early childhood. 

Rural Childhood Obesity Prevention Toolkit

Overview

Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, developed the Rural Childhood Obesity Prevention Toolkit to help local and state leaders advance innovative, evidence-informed strategies for improving health in rural towns, counties, tribal lands, and schools.

Profile: Desert Rain Food Service, Tohono O'odham Nation

Overview

For the Tohono O'odham Tribe in southwestern and central Arizona, food is the foundation of health, culture, community, family, and economies. Since 1996, the grassroots community organization Tohono O’odham Community Action (TOCA) has been dedicated to improving the health, cultural vitality, sustainability, and economic revitalization for the Tohono O’odham Nation.

This fall, thanks to TOCA’s new school food enterprise, Desert Rain Food Services, 700 children on the Tohono O'odham Nation will be served healthier school food sourced from local farmers. TOCA received a $300,000 Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) grant to pilot a school food service enterprise that supports healthier eating and a strong indigenous food economy.

Profile: Mandela MarketPlace

Overview

Mandela MarketPlace grew out of grassroots community organizing efforts to shift resource dynamics, giving residents access to healthy food retail and neighborhood development funding. Incorporated in 2004, Mandela MarketPlace is a nonprofit organization that currently works in partnership with local farmers, local residents, and community-based businesses to build health, wealth, and assets through cooperative food enterprises.

Read this in-depth case study and accompanying photo essay for more information. 

F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2013

Overview

Each year, the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) issues this report to examine strategies for addressing the obesity crisis. In this 10th edition of the report, TFAH and RWJF included annual rates and rankings of adult obesity and obesity rate trends by region, age, gender, education and income.

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