Grand Rapids Chiropractor Weekly Health Alert:
According to several studies, your neighborhood may be making you fat. It can be difficult to work on your weight when your environment is one in which access to healthy foods — or even safe sidewalks — are almost impossible to find. One recent study found that women who lived closer to a convenience store than a grocery store were more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI).
But what can be done about this? Remember that individuals can change a neighborhood. Kristin Kirkpatrick, writing in the Huffington Post, offers several suggestions as to what steps you can take. They include:
1) Communicate with store owners to determine if opportunities exist to offer more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
2) Identify and contact farmers market vendors to determine if they are able to set up a market in your community.
3) Gather residents together to plan a community garden.
4) Think about starting a community supported agriculture (CSA) program or find one near you.