A Sacramento neighborhood will be the recipient of an infusion of expertise and money to promote healthy living.
Led by the Health Education Council, the Valley Hi neighborhood in South Sacramento will receive a $1 million grant from Kaiser Permanente. The grant is part of Kaiser's new three-year, $10 million Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) zone initiative.
The zones are designed to make healthy food and exercise available in "underserved" neighborhoods, according to Kaiser. When the Valley Hi community developed about 40 years ago, it flourished. However, with the development of Greenhaven and Pocket areas, property values declined.
HEAL proponents said making healthy options available to Valley Hi residents will prevent diabetes and hypertension, diseases related to obesity. A Kaiser press release said that in California, half of all adults, one-in-nine children and one-in-three teens are obese or overweight.
"As we address obesity, especially childhood obesity, it's imperative to make changes at the local level -- where people live, work and play -- to make it easier for people to eat more healthfully and move more as part of daily life," said Debra Oto-Kent, executive director at the Health Education Council.
The Valley Hi HEAL zone will bring together public agencies, schools, employers, businesses, faith-based organizations, health care providers and others. In addition to Valley Hi, communities in Modesto, San Francisco, Madera, Concord, Richmond and Santa Rosa are receiving $1 million.
A neighborhood can affect a person's weight, according to Kaiser. If stores don't stock fruit and vegetables and if streets are unsafe for walking, the neighborhood can affect the likelihood of obesity.
Kaiser said low-income communities, where HEAL zones are focused, tend to have some of the highest obesity rates.
Yvette Radford, Kaiser's Regional Vice President for community affairs said the HEAL zones "are an extension of the work in our medical centers, and our commitment to helping create healthy individuals and healthy communities."
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