PHA Releases Policy Snapshot on the Link Between Access to Healthy, Affordable Food and Childhood Obesity

WASHINGTON. DC (July 11, 2011) – The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) – an organization working with the private sector to solve the nation’s childhood obesity crisis – released today a policy snapshot, titled “Food Access: The Link Between Access to Healthy, Affordable Food andChildhood Obesity.”

“Approximately 23.5 million Americans don’t have access to affordable, healthy foods,” saidLawrence A. Soler, CEO of PHA. “If we want to solve the childhood obesity crisis, we need to make healthy eating the easy and affordable choice. I hope this policy snapshot arms the private sector, the public and the press with a critical look at food access issues. With over 12.5 million American children and adolescents obese, we need swift and targeted action to help end the obesity epidemic.”

According to the USDA, 23.5 million Americans live in low-income areas that lack stores likely to sell affordable and nutritious foods. Of these 23.5 million, approximately 11.5 million are individuals living in households with incomes at or below the 200% poverty line, and 6.5 million are children.

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.