Last month, first lady Michelle Obama announced a $200 million initiative called the FreshWorks Fund, which aims to lure grocery stores into areas of California that have been deemed “food deserts.” The California Endowment helped organize the effort.
The announcement of the initiative came shortly after the release of a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, who found that grocery store availability does not necessarily mean that consumers make more healthful choices.
In a California Healthline Special Report by Mina Kim, experts discussed strategies to combat obesity and promote healthy eating.
The Special Report includes comments from:
- Janne Boone-Heinonen, an assistant professor at Oregon Health Science University;
- Margaret Gee, deputy director of the Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and
- Marion Standish, director of community health at the California Endowment (Kim, California Healthline, 8/11).
The complete transcript of this Special Report is available as a PDF.