Increase Availability and Accessibility to Fruits and Vegetables
According to the CDC (2011), populations that are strategically placed with ease of access to supermarkets, grocery stores, and farmers markets tend to eat healthier diets and have a higher consumption of vegetables and fruits. The Turkish community living around the Kiser Elementary School is mostly poor with limited access to healthy foods mainly fresh fruits and vegetables. About 34.5% of the people residing in these community are below the poverty line, and less than a half (45.1%) of the economically challenged families receive Supplementary Security Income (SSI) or other forms of income assistance (US Census Bureau, 2014). The economic status of most Turkish families in this community increases the rate of food insecurity and deprives the residents the monetary power to buy healthy diets.
Except for Kroger store that is approximately 2.8 miles from Kiser Elementary School, the community has no other large retail store, and thus it relies on food stores, farmers’ markets and food banks, all of which are more than a mile away. Food stores, from which most Turkish families buy their food, are small and have a limited variety of foods. Due to limited space and equipment, these stores have devoted limited shelf space to fresh produce which lowers healthy food choices for their customers. Apart from having limited resources to purchase food, the community is also faced with the challenge of having to travel an average distance of about 2.5 miles to buy food.
Fig1: In-home Consumption of Various Forms of Fruits in the USA, 2014.
Source: Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Source: Produce for Better Health Foundation
Promote Health and Nutrition Education
The larger portion of the population has little knowledge about the importance of taking healthy and balanced meals. Therefore, there is a need for developing education forums and programs that will provide health and nutrition information and the importance of adopting healthy eating habits in the prevention of obesity and other lifestyle maladies. These education programs can be conducted at schools, food stores, farmers’ markets, healthcare providers, or via the mass media so as to raise awareness. Turkish families in this area need to be educated on the health benefits of increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables even during the Ramadan fasting and reducing their carbohydrate intake (rice and potatoes).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Strategies to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases: The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Produce for Better Health Foundation. (2015). State of the Plate: 2015 Study on America’s Consumption of Fruit & Vegetable. Retrieved March 16, 2016. From http://www.pbhfoundation.org/pdfs/about/res/pbh_res/State_of_the_Plate_2015_WEB_Bookmarked.pdf
US Census Bureau. (2014). Community Facts, Dayton City, Ohio. Retrieved March 16, 2016. From http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml#
