A recent study by the Rural Sociological Society examines the growing problem of lack of access to grocery stores in rural areas of the United States. The study defines “low access areas” as counties in which “at least one-half of the population lives more than 10 miles from […] large food stores.” It was found that 803 counties in the United States are low access areas. In addition, a food desert was defined as a county in which “all residents have low access to large food retailers.” 418 counties in the United States are considered to be food deserts, with the majority of counties being located in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States.

The people living in rural food deserts face lack of access to well-rounded diets including a lack of fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The authors used counties in Iowa as a case study and found that 45% of people who lived in food deserts did not consume adequate amounts of fresh fruits and nearly two-thirds did not consume adequate amounts of vegetables.

The report makes suggestions that would help alleviate the growing problem of food deserts in rural areas. For example, a focus on economic develop, a push to buy locally and a need to advocate for advantageous wholesale prices for smaller markets are all advised. In addition, the study calls for the strengthening of the federal food safety net including increasing participation in school lunch and school breakfast programs, increasing participation and awareness of food stamps and supporting organizations that work to improve access to federal food programs.

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Nebraska currently ranks in the bottom five of all states for the number of school breakfasts served. Lawmakers are looking to change that ranking with a new bill being proposed in the senate. Senator Amanda McGill introduced a bill that would guarantee a $.05 per breakfast reimbursement for schools who offer breakfast to their students. The money the state would provide would be in addition to the federal reimbursement rates offered through the School Breakfast Program.

The proposed plan would cost the state $100,000 a year, but Senator McGill and other supporters of the bill believe that the benefits will far out weigh any monetary contribution by the state. The hope is that more districts will add School Breakfast Programs and that districts which already have such programs will expand them to include all schools in the districts. Feeding children meals at school ensures that they are well-fed and ready to learn and also contributes to their overall health.

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Governor Ted Kulongoski of Oregon pledged to live for one week on a food budget that would be typical of a Food Stamp recipient. The governor plans to live on a food budget of $21 for the week, which is only $3 a day, in order to promote “Hunger Awareness Week” which is taking place in Oregon from April 23-29.

The governor is also asking all Oregonians to participate in the Food Stamp challenge. He said that many people have no idea about what it means to live with a very limited food budget and that by participating he hopes they will have a chance to “experience first-hand what thousands of Oregon families go through every day.” In addition, he hopes people will gain a better understanding of how others struggle to “try to afford their families’ basic needs-transportation, housing, child care, health care-and food.”

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A bill proposed by Assemblyman Mark Leno would end the requirement that Food Stamp applicants in California have to be fingerprinted or photographed before receiving Food Stamp benefits. Currently, only three other states have such requirements, which are seen by many advocates as barriers to the application process. Assemblyman Leno proposed the legislation after learning that only 46% of eligible individuals and 34% of eligible families in California are enrolled in the Food Stamp program.

The proposed bill was recently approved by the Human Services Committee on a 4-0 vote and will now be put before a general vote in the California Assembly. In a written statement, Leno said he hoped the bill would help California’s "struggling families to get the nutrition they need and recover billions of federal dollars that California loses every year."

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A elementary school in Florida, Kinnan Elementary, has made tremendous strides with the implementation of its School Wellness Policy. All schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program were required to implement a policy for the beginning of the 2006-2007 year. Kinnan Elementary has taken the charge full-on and developed a comprehensive policy that addresses nutrition, exercise and physical education.

One of the largest areas that is addressed by the school’s policy is school nutrition. The cafeteria menus have all been revamped to include healthier foods, and the tables in the cafeteria have been rearranged so students sit in small groups with their teachers, who take some time during lunch to discuss healthy eating. Students also get 160 minutes of physical education a week. During the physical education time, students are exposed to a variety of activities from traditional sports like soccer and basketball to non-traditional activities like Pilates and Yoga.

Even in the very beginning of the program the school has already seen vast changes. From August to December the school has shown a 2% decrease in the percentage of overweight students. There have also been changes in the classroom; students are more focused and ready to learn. One of the teachers commented, “a healthy mind is much more efficient if your body is healthy.” The Kinnan nurse, Mary Fischer, says of the overall program, “We are really thrilled. Everything is trending more toward where we want to go.”

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The Oregon House of Representatives has voted to approve a bill that would ban the sale of most junk foods in school cafeterias across the state. The bill, which passed the House with a 46-11 vote, is also expected to be passed in the Senate and signed into law by Governor Kulongoski.

The bill would limit the types of food sold in vending machines and a la carte lines in school cafeterias. The measure would designate foods that can and cannot be sold by setting guidelines for the amount of fat, sugar and calories one item can have. Guidelines would vary depending on the age of the children who attend the school building. For example, sugar-free sodas would be sold in high schools but not in elementary or middle schools.

The goal of the initiative is to make the school environment healthier for children and therefore, lessen the rates of childhood obesity, which is a significant issue not only in Oregon but also across the whole country. A spokeswoman from the Governor’s office says, “This bill goes a long way toward preventing childhood obesity and diabetes and is part of a comprehensive effort to improve the health of our kids.”

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