Pennsylvania’s Unique Approach to Combating Childhood Obesity

The lack of access to healthy foods is directly linked to health in both positive and negative ways. Research has shown that supermarkets and grocery stores that offer fresh fruits and vegetables helps the community residents maintain healthy weights, which in turn wards off heart disease, diabetes, and other weight-related illnesses.

In Pennsylvania, a new initiative began a few years ago to provide low-income and rural communities with local grocery stores. Known as Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI), the program provides statewide financing designed to attract supermarkets and grocery stores to underserved urban and rural communities.

It has five key objectives:

1. Reduce the high incidence of food-related diseases
2. Stimulate investment in low-income communities
3. Remove financing obstacles to strengthen supermarkets in poor communities
4. Create living wage jobs
5. Prepare and retain a qualified workforce

By June 2010, the state had approved 93 applications out of 206 for financing under the FFFI. What resulted were numerous new grocery stores in underserved urban areas as well as many family-owned supermarkets for rural communities. The closest community store to us cropped up in Warren County. More specifically, Polly’s ShurSave opened in Tidioute in 2009 and has been successful for the community in providing new jobs and access to fresh produce. It’s too early to determine the store’s impact on overweight and obesity rates as well as other food-related disorders.

While prior studies have shown that access to healthy foods is tied to obesity, it stands to reason that Polly’s ShurSave and other stores funded through this initiative could be helpful for Pennsylvania’s residents. Furthermore, this type of project also points to the benefit of eating fresh foods from local farmers. Toward that end, it may be beneficial for you to seek out locally grown foods, many of which are offered at local Farmer’s markets as well as the Market House. All summer long, fresh produce can be purchased at lower rates than some larger chain grocers can offer.

While the FFFI has not provided any direct assistance to Crawford County, the very reason for its existence can be duplicated in our own shopping actions. Remember, think fresh and think local. Not only will you be helping yourself to maintain a healthy body weight, you will be supporting the local economy.

Reference

The Reinvestment Fund. (2010). Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/Fresh_Food_Financing_Initiative_Comprehensive.pdf.

Superpages.com. (2011). Polly’s ShurSave. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.superpages.com/bp/Tidioute-PA/Pollys-Shursave-L0003490872.htm.

The Food Trust (2004). Supermarket campaign. Improving access to supermarkets in underserved communities. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/programs/super.market.campaign.php#FFFIcreation.

Warren Times Observer. (2009). A successful first year for Warren County Main Street. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.timesobserver.com/page/content.detail/id/515156.html?nav=5109.