Local North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables will be more available, especially to rural communities and low-income residents through new farmers' markets. Teenagers picking up a quick afterschool snack will find healthy items at the convenience store. Children will participate in child-care programs with more physical activity. Mothers will be encouraged and provided the support necessary to breast-feed. Residents will take advantage of new shared-use agreements to exercise at facilities throughout the community. Community members from all three Appalachian Counties will unite in the effort to lower the rate of obesity.
The Appalachian District is taking action to:
- Establish and support Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefits Transfer card access at the Ashe County Farmers' Market and establish a farmers' market in Alleghany County to increase access to fresh produce among low-income residents.
- Establish joint-use garden sites at schools to increase access to healthy foods and support local farm production.
- Implement farm-to-institution programs for organizations to purchase local produce and increase access to healthy foods.
- Implement joint-use agreements throughout the community to increase resident access to facilities for physical activity.
- Further promote North Carolina's Eat Smart, Move More campaign that encourages mothers to make healthy eating and physical activity a part of their lifestyle.
- Support businesses, work sites, and area Chambers of Commerce in their development of healthy-eating and physical-activity policies.
- Encourage afterschool and child-care programs to increase physical-activity requirements to a minimum of 30-60 minutes per day.