Examining the Relationship Between Farmers' Markets and Obesity Rates in Washington State
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 201
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
There is a growing awareness that America's obesity issue is linked to poor eating habits. Healthy food options may be inaccessible to large segments of the population, especially for those with reduced mobility including the poor and elderly. Farmers' markets are one way to alleviate these accessibility problems by providing healthy, locally sourced foodstuffs. In Washington State there is legislation (Substitute House Bill 2402 and the Senate Farm Bill) promoting farmers’ markets as a healthy food source. Using geographic information systems (GIS), this study evaluates the spatial relationship between local obesity rates and consumer proximity to farmers’ markets. Results show that there are lower rates of obesity in counties that have greater access to farmers’ markets, suggesting that farmers’ markets are providing a healthy food option to local consumers. These findings may help spur further legislation and incentives promoting farmers’ markets in Washington State and beyond.
Recommended Citation
Steele, Taylor, "Examining the Relationship Between Farmers' Markets and Obesity Rates in Washington State" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 122.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/oralpresentations/122
Additional Mentoring Department
Geography
Examining the Relationship Between Farmers' Markets and Obesity Rates in Washington State
SURC 201
There is a growing awareness that America's obesity issue is linked to poor eating habits. Healthy food options may be inaccessible to large segments of the population, especially for those with reduced mobility including the poor and elderly. Farmers' markets are one way to alleviate these accessibility problems by providing healthy, locally sourced foodstuffs. In Washington State there is legislation (Substitute House Bill 2402 and the Senate Farm Bill) promoting farmers’ markets as a healthy food source. Using geographic information systems (GIS), this study evaluates the spatial relationship between local obesity rates and consumer proximity to farmers’ markets. Results show that there are lower rates of obesity in counties that have greater access to farmers’ markets, suggesting that farmers’ markets are providing a healthy food option to local consumers. These findings may help spur further legislation and incentives promoting farmers’ markets in Washington State and beyond.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Mathew Novak