Healthier Youth Facilities in Baldwin Park

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In the city of Baldwin Park, twenty miles inland from Los Angeles, the majority of residents are young (two out of three are under 35) and Hispanic (four our of five). Finding nutritious, affordable food in this area has been a struggle.

“Healthy Teens on the Move,” an advocacy committee of students from two local high schools in Baldwin Park, have made it their mission to improve Baldwin Park’s physical activity and food environment for local children, of whom one in three is overweight. They took an active role in bringing healthy changes to school cafeterias and also helped Baldwin Park become the first city in California to pass an ordinance that ensured all foods and beverages sold in city-sponsored youth facilities complied with the same state nutrition standards that regulated food sales in schools.

With help from Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC), the youth hope that this is only the beginning for health policies changes in Baldwin Park. With their neighbor city, El Monte, attempting to pass soda tax legislation in fall 2012, chances are future health policy changes are on the horizon for Baldwin Park.