STEPS TO A HEALTHIER CLARK COUNTY WASHINGTON     2003 - 2008

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Success Story - Food System Council

June 2007

Clark County Food System Council-
Framework Development Crucial for Success

 

Contact Information:
Barbe West
Executive Director, Community Choices
1101 Broadway Suite 120
Vancouver, WA 98660

What is the Public Health Problem?

Obesity
One-quarter of all adults in Clark County are considered obese, far from meeting the target goal of 15 percent. More than one-third additional adults are considered overweight (37 percent) for a combined total overweight/obese adult population of 62 percent. Clark County rates are very similar to rates statewide and nationwide. The rate of overweight or obese adults has risen since the mid-1990s. Clark County statistics show that a greater percentage of adult males (about 70 percent) are either overweight or obese compared to females (about 50 percent). [Source: BRFSS]

Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help ward off obesity, heart disease and stroke, aid in controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes, and prevent some types of cancer. Few adults in our country consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables to realize these benefits. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on a person’s caloric intake.
In 2005, only 25 percent of Clark County adults consumed five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The Clark County rate is similar to both the Washington State rate of 24 percent and the US rate of 23 percent.

Percent of adults who ate 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Source: U.S., WA State and Clark County BRFSS.

Youth At Risk for Overweight, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Physical Activity
Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue contributing to many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood as well as have a significant financial impact on the healthcare system and workplaces. As with adults, there has been a dramatic increase in the percent of youth who are overweight in recent years. Poor nutrition is a risk factor for preventable diseases among youth.

In 2006, one out of four (24%) of eighth graders in Clark County was either overweight or at-risk of becoming overweight. Almost one out of three (30%) four eighth graders consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, while 37% participated in moderate physical activity 5 or more times per week. These rates are similar to the rates for Washington State.

*Overweight students are in top 5% of BMI by age and gender based on CDC growth charts. At risk for overweight students are in top 15% but not top 5%. **Moderate physical activity that did not make you sweat and breathe hard for at least 30 minutes 5 or more times per week. Source: WA State Healthy Youth Surveys.

How is Steps responding?

• In June, 2007 the Clark County Food System Council (CCFSC) held its first official meeting. Council members, who had to submit applications to be eligible, currently represent a variety of food systems sectors in Clark County such as agriculture, nutrition, education, emergency food system, health care, food services, planning and land use, business, economic development and community.
• With each member of the council bringing diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideas about how to improve access to healthy foods in the community the importance of setting a framework was crucial. It was anticipated that many members of the council would find similarities in their points of view, but there would also be differences in how to approach the work. Therefore, the initial task for the council was to develop vision, mission and strategy statements. The council also needed to develop governance procedures and a structure/decision making process.
• The framework development processes were the focus for the first 5 months of the council meetings. Even though it sometimes seemed tedious and time consuming the staff and council all agreed that building a strong foundation and well grounded council was well worth the effort and would pay off when the hard issues surfaced.
• By November, 2007 sections of the countywide food system assessment will be completed and reported to the council. The council will use this information to begin to advocate and advise community leaders on food system and food policy implementations.

What is the heath impact?

• CDC in the publication, Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for a Healthier Nation, recommends that in addition to convincing people to adopt healthier lifestyles, we should work to create environments, systems and policies that eliminate barriers to being active and eating a healthy diet. Additionally, we should engage in planning and decision making on environmental and policy issues that affect peoples eating and physical activity habits. This is the role that the CCFSC will fill in our community.
• The CCFSC will identify opportunities to work with target population groups such as government, schools, food related businesses, health care organizations, farmers markets and farm stands, community supported agriculture, community gardens and neighborhood associations. Of particular note, the community food assessment will have a strong focus on families with limited incomes and how barriers to access to healthy food affect them disproportionately.

Why is program working?

With a permanent home in Clark County Public Health after the term of the Steps grant, the CCSFC provides a sustainable means to continue affecting local food system policies and programs into the future. Food policy councils and boards have been instrumental in many local communities, regional areas and states to increase the community conversations about local/sustainable food systems and affect changes for positive health.

Toronto food policy council

• Founded rooftop garden resource group and initiated the City Hall GreenRoof project.
• Worked with city of Toronto Economic Development Division on consolidating health regulators approval process for small food processing businesses.
• Developed a feasibility study of not-for-profit healthy food delivery system for Toronto's low-income citizens

Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council

• Working to increase purchase of local foods by government agencies
• Supports and advocates for food security and healthy eating for children at home and in schools

Hartford Food Commission

• Affected change in transportation routes to assist low-income residents access grocery stores
• Completed and published supermarket surveys to assist residents to access low-cost healthy foods

Iowa Food Council

• Developed a buy fresh local campaign to support local food producers
• Advocated for increasing the fruit and vegetable school program
  New Mexico
• Working to help integrate agriculture/nutrition education into schools for all students, making agriculture a high school elective and encouraging community school gardens along with curriculum designs

Many experts in the field of Food Policy Councils have found that these groups are most stable when they combine project and policy work. Specific, short term projects important to the community engage stakeholders and assist in building trust and cohesion, necessary for policy work.

National, state and local governments, health care organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, community groups such as Food Security Council, agricultural partners and institutions, food security agencies, community businesses and faith based organizations are studying and promoting formation of community groups that can begin to bring the issues of access to healthy food to the community level and help shape and create changes to local and regional food systems that promote and protect access to healthy foods.