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Grant brings obesity battle to Fresno State

By Katie Hicks
The Collegian

A $2.6 million grant from a private health foundation was recently donated to the Central California Public Health Partnership to combat obesity in a non-traditional way.

Instead of promoting diets and gym memberships, the grant will fund the organization of councils that will work on creating safe and inviting walking paths, bike paths and playgrounds as well as offering access to fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the Valley.

The money donated by The California Endowment helped to create a Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Project that will be led by six local public health departments and California State University, Fresno.

The departments including Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare will receive a separate 3-year, $300,000 grant to help develop obesity prevention councils, organize community representation and seek resources in support of this effort.

The three-year initiative will be administered by the Central California Center for Health and Human Services at Fresno State and is designed to improve social and physical environments for healthy nutrition and physical activity.

Carol Barney, public health director for Madera County said surveys done throughout California show some of the highest rates of obesity in the state.

“What we are hoping to do is bring together traditional partners like health departments and hospitals with non-traditional partners like development agencies, schools and chambers of commerce to create exercise friendly spaces,” Barney said.

Alonzo Plough, vice president of Program, Planning and Evaluation of The California Endowment announced the commencement of the project on Jan. 13.

“The manifestation of the national epidemic of obesity is particularly severe in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley,” Plough said. “The over-consumption of junk food, combined with a lack of physical activity, is a very real threat to the health and well-being of the region’s residents.”

Plough explained that social and physical environments throughout the valley must be improved in order to make nutritious food and safe places to engage in activity accessible to residents.

Kathleen Curtis, interim associate dean of the College of Health and Human Services said her department plans to supply research and data and boost education training for the project.

“This project is a little different than most people think,” Curtis said. “Most people think this is about getting people to go on a diet or go to the gym but our focus is on changing the social and physical environments so people make better choices.”

The second part of the project involves making fresh fruits and vegetables more readily available to smaller rural towns.

“Many of theses smaller communities may be producing most of the fruits and vegetables but it leaves the community on trucks,” Curtis said. “So we are trying to get communities to develop farmer’s markets and places where food is available. If people have the choice between an apple and a banana or a brownie and some cake some people will make the right decision,” Curtis said. “This isn’t a short-term solution, it’s a long-term solution.”