7/31/2019 Childhood Obesity Brief

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PolicymakersFact Sheet Series

*Data source: Statehealthfacts.org

1575 Eye Street, NW, Suite 500 | Washington, D.C. 20005 | 202-371-1565 | www.cssp.org

Access and Proximity to Grocery Stores

% Households with no car and greater thanone mile to store

0%0.1% - 3%3.1% - 6%6.1% - 10%

10.1% - 27.9%

Childhood Obesity

23.1% - 27.0 %27.1% - 31.0%31.1% - 34.0%34.1% +

REDUCING CHILDHOOD OBESITY IMPROVES CHILDRENS

HEALTH,INCREASES PARENTAL PRODUCTIVITY

In difficult economic times, elected officials need

effective approaches that improve the lives of

children and families at little or no cost to states

and localities. Outlined below are several

effective, budget-conscious solutions to create

healthy options and safe infrastructures for

children and families, reduce public healthcare

expenditures and contribute to productive schools

and workplaces.

Implementing policies that promote access to

healthier lifestyles reduces childhood obesity andincreases the productivity of parents. The rate ofchildhood obesity has grown significantly inrecent years. When children miss school due toweight-related illness, their parents miss work tocare for them. Research shows that communitieswith access to affordable, healthy foods and safeplaces to walk and bike have lower rates ofobesity and are healthier as a whole.

Budget-Conscious Policies That Work

Improve Access to Affordable, HealthyFood.Studiesshow that improved access tohealthy food corresponds to healthier eating andlower rates of obesity and diabetes. Policymakerscan provide incentives for grocery stores to servelow-income communities and for small retailers tooffer fresh fruits and vegetables.PennsylvaniasFresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI), a public-private partnership, provides loans and grants toassist food retailers with building or refurbishing

grocery stores in low-income communities.

Since 2004, FFFI has led to 4,860 jobs and 1.5million square feet of grocery retail space and hasincreased food access for more than 400,000residents.

http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/ChildhoodObesityFramingDoc.pdfhttp://www.rwjf.org/programareas/ChildhoodObesityFramingDoc.pdfhttp://www.rwjf.org/programareas/ChildhoodObesityFramingDoc.pdfhttp://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/Fresh_Food_Financing_Initiative_Comprehensive.pdfhttp://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/Fresh_Food_Financing_Initiative_Comprehensive.pdfhttp://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/Fresh_Food_Financing_Initiative_Comprehensive.pdfhttp://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/Fresh_Food_Financing_Initiative_Comprehensive.pdfhttp://www.rwjf.org/programareas/ChildhoodObesityFramingDoc.pdf

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1575 Eye Street N.W., Suite 500 | Washington D.C. 20005 | 202-371-1565 | www.cssp.org

Support Healthy School Initiatives.Physically fitstudents are less likely to miss school, engagein risky behaviors, get pregnant or attempt suicide; they also have better academic outcomes.Supporting nutrition and physical education and improving the nutritional quality of school fareboth reduces obesity and improves academic achievement.North CarolinaHealthy Schoolscoordinates eight components of school health, including nutrition, physical education, health

education, health services and health promotion for staff. As a result, children are more alert,more focused on learning, and miss less school.Louisianasets standards for nutritious meals andperformance indicators for the School Food and Nutrition Program.

Support Complete Street Policies.Policymakers can foster safe places for children and familiesto walk and bike to work, school, shops and public transportation. Five policy optionsthatencourage physical activity are incorporating sidewalks and bike lanes into community design,providing funding for biking and walking in highway projects,establishing safe routes to school,fostering traffic-calming measures and creating incentives for mixed-use development.

By adding complete streets language to states comprehensive general plans, policymakers can

develop safer streets that promote physical activity and thereby reduce obesity. Changing thesignal time at crosswalks, for example, allows safer pedestrian crossing without additional costs.Michiganrequires the Department of Transportation and local road agencies to develop and adoptcomplete street policies.Wisconsinrequires the Department of Transportation to include bicycleand pedestrian accommodations in all new public construction projects.

Use Public-Private Partnerships.The Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation funds projectsnationwide to reverse childhood obesity. The Ruth Mott Foundation provides grants to bothcreate more livable, vibrant communities and support initiatives to improve childrens health. TheNational Council of State Legislatures, partnering with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, isproviding policy assistance to Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina,

Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

Maximize Federal Funds.President Obamas proposedHealthy Food Financing Initiativewillsupport both private sector investment and a public-private loan program to expand access tonutritious food in low-income communities. TheUrban Circulator and Bus Livability Programdisburses approximately $300 million to fund projects improving public transportation options.For example, theMassachusettsRegional Bike Share System will locate more than 500 BikeShare stops near bus and rail stations to encourage the use of public transit. The system willcreate two million new bike trips a year.

Federal highway fundingprograms provide funding for infrastructure changes to promote

walking and biking. TheCenters for Disease Controlfunds states to develop and implementnutrition and physical activity initiatives.

Visitpolicyforresults.orgfor assistance, more information, state data, research and resources.

Policyforresults.orgis a non-partisan, nonprofit resource for state policymakers.

http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/almuzaini/DocLib4/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%20-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/almuzaini/DocLib4/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%20-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/almuzaini/DocLib4/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%20-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9http://www.nchealthyschools.org/http://www.nchealthyschools.org/http://www.nchealthyschools.org/http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=20101http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=20101http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=20101http://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/046958.htmhttp://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/046958.htmhttp://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/046958.htmhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.htmlhttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.htmlhttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.htmlhttp://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11820.htmlhttp://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11820.htmlhttp://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11820.htmlhttp://www.mhd.state.ma.us/common/downloads/bikeplan/Final_Bike_Plan.pdfhttp://www.mhd.state.ma.us/common/downloads/bikeplan/Final_Bike_Plan.pdfhttp://www.mhd.state.ma.us/common/downloads/bikeplan/Final_Bike_Plan.pdfhttp://www.completestreets.org/changing-policy/implementation-faq/http://www.completestreets.org/changing-policy/implementation-faq/http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/obesityprevention.pdfhttp://www.financeproject.org/Publications/obesityprevention.pdfhttp://www.financeproject.org/Publications/obesityprevention.pdfhttp://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.policyforresults.org/http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/obesityprevention.pdfhttp://www.completestreets.org/changing-policy/implementation-faq/http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/common/downloads/bikeplan/Final_Bike_Plan.pdfhttp://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_11820.htmlhttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100219a.htmlhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdfhttp://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/046958.htmhttp://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=20101http://www.nchealthyschools.org/http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/almuzaini/DocLib4/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9%20-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9