When Molina Healthcare of Michigan noticed the poor immunization rates in the state’s children, it took action. The company, a leading health care provider for financially vulnerable families, launched “Shots for Shorties” to improve the rates of immunization among African-American children, primarily those from low-income families. The program offers a variety of necessary vaccinations, programs and educational materials full of strategies to increase immunization rates for African-Americans. 

Since 2008, as a condition of doing business, the city of Minneapolis requires corner stores to sell perishable produce. The current requirement is to sell five varieties of fresh produce and for stores that are certified by the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) 7 varieties and 30 pounds in total stock are required. According to Governing magazine, Minneapolis is the first city to move from incentives to requirements.

Americans continue to add pounds to their weight despite the well-documented association of obesity to a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and even many forms of cancer. In 39 states, adult obesity rates exceeded 25 percent in 2011. More alarming is that a new study projects obesity rates for adults could top more than 50 percent in all but 11 states and the District of Columbia by 2030. Reducing the average body mass index in every state by 5 percent would save between 6.5 percent and 7.8 percent in health care spending in every state, a savings totaling $642 billion nationally by 2030. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, began a conference series that started yesterday titled “Weight of the Nation”.  This conference coincides with a public health HBO project that involves CDC, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.

Obesity is a growing issue affecting millions of Americans. As we try to combat the negative health effects of obesity there is a push for prevention. Politicians, citizens, and researchers are scrambling to find a cause of obesity. The problem is there is no “magic pill” or perfect solution. Causes of obesity are debated and the search is on for something to blame for the drastic changes in American’s weight. A recent focus has been food deserts. This term describes areas where supermarkets, grocery stores, and other healthy food options are not readily available. To see if your community falls under this category go to The Department of Agriculture’s food desert locator tool below.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/

For the first time in more than 15 years, school meal standards have been changed with a focus on improving child nutrition and reducing childhood obesity.  With the potential to impact more than 30 million students daily, these new guidelines will introduce more fruit and vegetables and reduce fat intake on lunch trays.  State policies and local practices can have a positive impact on the devastating rates of obesse and overweight children as students have an opportunity for more healthful eating.

The NY Times reported today that at least seven states have laws on their books prohibiting localities from adopting policies aimed at reducing obesity and improving public health. The most recent example is Ohio, where the budget bill just signed by Governor John Kasich limits local government control over restaurants.

Adult and childhood obesity remain a major issue for states and the nation. States have implemented various policies and programs to reduce the number of adults and children who are either overweight or obese. The economic benefit of having a healthier population is a significant reason why states continue to push for healthy programs.