Changing Consumer Demand: How Philadelphia Has Used Access and Education to Combat Obesity, Poster 26 (Moved to Oral in Room 311 @ 2:10 pm)

Over the past ten years, as obesity has become an increasingly expensive and dangerous problem for the nation, policy makers and citizens have focused more on the issue of food access and the availability of healthy foods. In... [ view full abstract ]

Over the past ten years, as obesity has become an increasingly expensive and dangerous problem for the nation, policy makers and citizens have focused more on the issue of food access and the availability of healthy foods. In 2010, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health launched Get Healthy Philly, an initiative that works to promote healthy living by decreasing tobacco use, promoting more active lifestyles, and increasing access to fresh and healthy foods. In order to increase access, the city focused on improving the supply of fresh produce in local corner stores and farmers' markets by changing burdensome legislation, creating Philly Food Bucks, a program for food stamp recipients, connecting suppliers to small scale vendors, providing finance for storage and refrigeration, and offering support for marketing and profitable business strategies. Using local healthcare data, I examine the impacts this program has had on obesity levels throughout the city.