A Stimulus for Better Health: Realizing the Vision for a Healthy California

The Center for Health Policy Research found that Latino and African-American youth and low income families reported worse access to safe parks and open space and lower activity levels than white or upper-income peers. It's a tragedy that two in five Latino and African American babies born today in California could develop diabetes during their lifetime. We can prevent that from happening.

By investing in health-promoting infrastructure in under-resourced communities, Recovery Act dollars could also generate significant health care savings. A modest 5% decrease in diabetes and cardiovascular disease can yield $1.7 billion annually in health care savings, increased worker productivity, and decreased absenteeism. Recent studies on the return on investment from community-level chronic disease prevention reveals that a $10 dollar per capita investment pays for itself after the first year, has a five-to-one savings at year five, and continues to save over the long term.

Specifically, the Governor, Legislature and State Departments should utilize ARRA funds to:

1. Support healthy community environments (e.g., healthy food retail, parks and recreation, complete streets, and school facilities).
* Prioritize access to healthy food and safe drinking water in high-need communities.
* Create and maintain safe recreation and physical activity opportunities where access is limited.
* Use transportation dollars to create walking paths, bike routes and public transit.
* Make nutrition and physical activity infrastructure an integral part of school-modernization efforts.
* Focus workforce funds in communities and sectors that need it most.
* Ensure that all community development, transportation and infrastructure projects adhere to principals and criteria for healthy and equitable land use.

2. Maximize the flow of federal dollars into the state for programs that are federally funded, promote health and stimulate spending, such as WIC and food stamps.

3. Prioritize use of ARRA's Prevention and Wellness Fund to support community-based initiatives-an opportunity to build on the Governor's recommendation for community makeovers.

In 2005, California's Governor convened an Action Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity, adopted a 10-point Vision for a Healthy California and signed legislation to improve school nutrition standards, calling current trends in obesity 'dangerous and unacceptable', Today, we can use federal stimulus dollars to help make the vision for a healthy California a reality.

These recommendations are adapted from Realizing the Vision for a Healthy California: Opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a recent analysis by the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments (Strategic Alliance). Strategic Alliance is a network of diverse advocates in California committed to the vision of healthy community environments. Strategic Alliance promotes equitable environmental, community-based solutions and institutional and government policies and practices that support healthy eating and activity. Please visit www.eatbettermovemore.org for more information, including details on potential ARRA funding sources for each recommendation.

Manal J. Aboelata is Program Director at Prevention Institute, a national non-profit dedicated to achieving equitable health and safety outcomes through primary prevention. She coordinates The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Eating and Activity Environments.