Food security is a complex issue: limited resource households, distance to food markets and other barriers to securing adequate, safe and nutritious foods all combine to create a food landscape that may not be conducive to good health in our communities. Recent data from the Northern Colorado region suggest there is increasing need for food assistance from government, community and school programs. Data on food assistance, food stamps outlays, and reduced/free school lunch eligibility are consistent in illustrating increased need for programs to mitigate food insecurity during this economic downturn. Community gardens and efforts to "map" food assets are explored as new approaches to improve access to raw foods and appropriate food market outlets for those who might otherwise have their dietary choices constrained by what is readily available.
Colorado has had the lowest adult obesity rate in the U.S., but is worsening from its status a decade ago. Because of the perceived link between food access, behavior and consumption, exploring connections between the food system and health/nutrition is warranted. The region has shown only slight improvement in two indicators of improved health behaviors -consuming enough fruits and vegetables and adequate physical activity- and all improvements made were in Weld County. Given some limited improvement in health outcomes, and evidence that targeted community programming was effective in Weld county, there may be reason to consider food system issues in future public health discussions.
