Oral

A dysfunctional food environment is implicated in the epidemics of obesity and related health problems. On-the-ground initiatives to address access to healthful food and growing food are helping to create a national movement to build healthier food environments. This session tells the stories of several of these initiatives in Colorado, as well as describing the contexts of research and policy in which they are taking place. We will begin with an exploration of a local non-profit's 25 years of building gardens and its efforts to shape healthy community design and local food access in Denver. We will then turn to recent research findings about the relationships between neighborhood environments (percent green space, nearby nature and incivilities), social processes (perceived aesthetics, social cohesion, and place attachment), health behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity) and health status (body mass index, self-rated health) drawing on data from a multi-year community-based participatory research study. Following the local perspective, we will broaden the lens to explore Colorado's LiveWell Initiative and the achievements of this statewide collaborative to spark healthier food (and activity) environments in communities. We will conclude this session with a presentation on web-based tools designed to engage healthy food advocates at the local community level and empower them to advocate for supportive policies at the regional and federal level, including for a healthier Farm Bill.

Session Objectives: 1. To identify key evidence-based strategies that facilitate access and availability of fresh food at the community level. 2. To identify and generally describe process and outcome measures that relate to neighborhood environmental features and conditions, social processes, health behaviors and health. 3. To describe and access an online resource that support and facilitate community food advocacy

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)