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The Network for a Healthy California--Gold
Coast is one of eleven regions funded by the US Department
of Agriculture (USDA), and the
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Cancer Prevention Nutrition Section (CPNS). Ventura County Public Health was
awarded the grant from January 2005 through
September 2007 to implement comprehensive
activities to promote healthy eating and
physical activity in the Gold Coast Region,
which consists of San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara and Ventura Counties.
The Networks in 11 regions together
provide services to all California counties. The
Networks are working to create
environments to help low-income Californians eat
healthy and get regular physical activity.
As is the case across California and our nation,
obesity is a serious public health problem in our
region. According to The
Center for Public Health Advocacy, one quarter
of Gold Coast children are overweight (24.7 - 25.2%)1.
According to the Paradox in Paradise report
(Diringer
and Gilman, 2006)2, 12.2 percent of adolescents,
aged 11-17 years are considered overweight in
California. Out
of six counties on California’s central coast line
of which three include the Gold Coast, 19.4% of
Latino children are overweight, while White children
in comparison are 8.2% overweight. Children under the poverty
level are 23.7% overweight and children over 300% of
FPL are 8.6% overweight.
The report also
provides statistics for adults in the same region:
Over half of adults (53.9%) are overweight or obese.
Latinos have higher rates of overweight or obese
(64.2%) compared to Whites (50.3%). Wealthier
residents (52.4% of adults over 300% FPL and 50.8%
for adults below FPL) and non-citizens (57.8%) have
higher overweight rates.
Designed to cross over traditional
political, geographic and organizational
boundaries, the Regional Networks
conduct activities in three major areas:
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Maximize Local Impact
- The Regional Networks provide
training, coordination and communications
support to all Network-funded projects and
other stakeholders in the region. |
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2. |
Mobilize Community Action
- Each region includes a Regional
Collaborative – individuals, organizations,
advocates, community leaders, businesses and
others with expertise in nutrition, physical
activity, hunger prevention/food security,
and under-served communities. Hundreds of
people and organizations, including Local
Incentive Awardees, Special Projects, and Campaigns, belong to the 11 Regional Collaboratives. The
Regional
Networks provide administrative support to
the Regional Collaboratives and facilitate
nutrition education initiatives that make it
easier for low-income Californians to adopt
healthy eating and physical activity
lifestyles in their communities. |
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3. |
Reach Out with
Campaigns
and Programs
- The Regional Networks implement
regional
Gold Coast Campaigns that focus on
special populations. |
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Empowers low-income Californians to consume
the recommended amount of fruits and
vegetables every day and enjoy physical
activity every day.
Click here to view the USDA My Pyramid. |
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Facilitates behavior change by educating
low-income consumers directly through
multiple venues, enabling organizations and
communities to create environments that
support fruit and vegetable consumption and
physical activity, and establishing policies
that make fruits and vegetables and physical
activity more accessible. |
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Encourages participation in federal
nutrition assistance programs among those
who are eligible. |
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Promotes fruit and vegetable consumption and
physical activity in an effort to reduce the
risk of chronic diseases, such as heart
disease, cancer, hypertension, stroke,
diabetes, and obesity. |
Supporting Literature
1.
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/growingepidemic.html
The Growing Epidemic: Child Overweight Rates
on the Rise in California Assembly Districts
2.
http://www.diringerassociates.com/PP/index.html
Paradox in Paradise: Hidden Health
Inequities on California’s Gold Coast
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