The Health and Strength and Daily Food program challenges faith communities to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by building state and local partnerships to improve access to healthy foods, open natural spaces, and active recreational opportunities for Texas children.
Texas is facing a childhood obesity crisis. The rate of obese children in Texas doubled in the past 20 years and continues to rise. If current trends continue, the annual cost of addressing weight-related health issues will increase from $15.6 billion in 2010 to $39 billion by 2040, according to the Texas Interagency Obesity Council. Rising childhood obesity in Texas reflects the fundamental need to improve access to healthy food, open natural spaces, and nutrition education.
Texas is beginning to address this growing problem, but much more needs to be done. Texas Impact has created a new initiative, Health and Strength and Daily Food, to address the childhood obesity crisis. By creating partnerships with state, federal, and local agencies we seek to promote better access to healthy foods, open natural spaces, and active recreational opportunities for Texas children.
Texas Impact is also a founding member of the Texas Food Policy Roundtable (TFPR). The Texas Food Policy Roundtable (TFPR) is a broadly based group of Texas leaders who will develop, coordinate and improve the implementation of food policy to address hunger and promote equitable, sustainable and healthy food in Texas. The roundtable will focus on four areas of food policy: SNAP, obesity and nutrition, summer food programs, and local & sustainable food production.
