If sugar is so bad for us, why do we crave it? "High rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease: the legacy, some experts say, of sugar." National Geographic traces our love affair with sugar back 10,000 years in the article Sugar Love (A Not So Sweet Story). Learn about sugar's journey around the world, first as a luxury item and later as a household staple, and how the sweet substance affects our bodies and our ...
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The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, recently released Health Impact Assessment of Proposed Changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a paper that summarizes findings from an ongoing health impact assessment being conducted to provide nonpartisan analysis of the potential health impacts of the proposed changes to SNAP, the federal government’s principal program for helping low-income families purchase enough food. Read more about the report ...
Read MoreCheck out this informative webinar from ChangeLab Solutions about how low-income communities can improve their access to farmers' ...
Read MoreIn most communities, convenience stores are a common part of the retail landscape – and in many areas, both urban and rural, these stores are the only nearby places to buy food. Can you think of one in your area? What if they served more than just chips, candy, and soda? "Health on a Shelf", ChangeLab Solutions' guide to healthy small food retailer certification programs, is an extensive toolkit that takes folks through the process of creating and sustaining a healthy small food retailer program. By establishing a healthy small food retailer program, government agencies and community-based organizations can support and give incentives to food retailers (including corner stores, bodegas, and rural markets) that are willing to sell healthy foods. Programs offer a range of ...
Read MoreDo you live near a community garden? Does your neighborhood sell good-quality, low-cost fruits and vegetables? Is there a farmer's market in your neighborhood? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your neighborhood is ready for some healthy changes. Check out ChangeLab Solutions' "Eight Steps to Get More Fruits and Vegetables Into Your Neighborhood", available in English and in ...
Read MoreIn places where only candy, chips, soda, and other junk foods are readily available, fresh “produce cart vendors” (like a produce stand on wheels!) can make a world of difference. ChangeLab Solutions created a model produce cart ordinance as well as a guide on how to create a permit program for produce carts in your city or ...
Read MoreCalifornia certified farmers’ markets and farm stands can help bring fresh fruits and vegetables directly to the communities that need them most. It can be difficult—if not impossible—to find fresh, affordable healthy food in many urban and rural low-income communities. These fact sheets from ChangeLab Solutions explain how state law works to encourage more farmers’ markets, farm stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, where farmers can sell their produce directly to ...
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Read MoreSoda, sweetened fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks account for nearly half of all added sugar consumption in the average American diet. "Recommendations for Healthier Beverages" was published by Healthy Eating Research in March 2013 in response to America's growing addiction to sugary drinks. Schools, child-care centers, hospitals, governments, and businesses can use the guidelines to provide children and families with healthy beverage ...
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