Nine in 10 Alabamians believe children should have access to healthy food
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – An overwhelming majority of Alabamians believe the state should take steps to fight the growing obesity crisis among its children, according to a poll commissioned by VOICES for Alabama’s Children.
The poll was conducted in response to research collected by VOICES that demonstrated a prevalence of childhood obesity statewide and revealed that a contributing factor is the lack of or limited access to fresh, healthy food for many across the state. It showed that an overwhelming majority of Alabamians, 90 percent polled, believe “it is important for the state to make a strong effort to reduce obesity among children” and more than 90 percent believe “that more Alabama children should have access to fresh, healthy food.”
“Alabama is facing a public health crisis and most Alabamians recognize that grocers and other food retailers play a key role in the solution,” said VOICES campaign manager, Jada Shaffer. “Over the past 30 years, obesity has more than doubled among the state’s children. Encouraging grocers to bring healthier food options closer to families in low access areas is one step in reversing the crisis.
More than 1.8 million Alabamians, nearly half a million children, live in communities without healthy food retailers – such as grocery stores. Children without access to healthy food are more likely to develop chronic disease including high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes and breathing problems such as asthma. Lifetime health care costs for obese children who are 80 percent more likely to be obese as adults is estimated to be at least three times higher than for children who are not obese.
“Support for encouraging the private sector to make healthy food available to children in low access areas was viewed as important because of the dual benefits of improved health care resulting in lower health care costs for the state’s children along with improving local economies,” said Jerry Ingram, Ph.D., Southeast Research, Inc. “In all my years of polling, I have not seen support for a public policy issue as overwhelming and widespread as this one. Alabamians are truly not divided when it comes to supporting initiatives that improve the health of the state’s children.”
The poll surveyed 400 Alabamians in December 2014 by Montgomery, Ala. based Southeast Research, Inc. Those surveyed were adults who are residents of the state and were selected at random. It also found “very strong support for the state to encourage businesses to open grocery stores and farmers’ markets in communities where families and children do not have access to healthy food.
“Grocers want to be part of the solution by expanding into areas of Alabama that offer little or no fresh, healthy food options,” said Ellie Taylor, Alabama Grocers Association President. “They must also be able to sustain their business and can often require a small economic boost to expand or get the stores off the ground.”
In May 2013, VOICES launched a statewide campaign to raise awareness about the growing concern of childhood obesity and its relationship to food access and urge decision makers to prioritize implementing a statewide healthy food financing initiative – one solution to address the issue. Healthy food financing initiatives provide economic and financial resources to help spur grocery store development in communities with limited access to healthy food. Similar initiatives have been successful in other states and have brought healthy food closer to home for local communities, created jobs and boosted local economies.
“We are happy and encouraged by the strong support among Alabama residents and we hope to see this level of support in other southern states,” said Kim Milbrath, Southern Regional Campaign Manager for Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association to combat childhood obesity. “We must provide children and families with healthier food options right in their communities or we could be raising the first generation not expected to live as long as their parents.”
Additional poll findings include:
· 70 percent support the state incentivizing businesses to open grocery stores in neighborhoods where children do not have access to healthy foods.
· 80 percent support the state incentivizing businesses to locate in low access areas after learning about additional benefits produced from grocers locating in low access areas.
· Overall, support for addressing the problem of obesity and healthy food access is robust and widespread across every demographic in the state.
More information can be viewed at http://bit.ly/1A7Qh9R.
