Preschool/daycare

Spartanburg County, SC

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:56:53 -0600

Decades of deindustrialization and subsequent job losses have taken a significant toll on the financial health of Spartanburg County, once a booming textile center and transportation hub in northwest South Carolina. The economic downturn has also affected the physical health of Spartanburg residents, 70 percent of whom are obese or overweight. Many suffer from multiple problems associated with their weight.

Rochester, NY

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:46:39 -0600

Like other Great Lakes cities, Rochester has spent the past several decades confronting a shrinking manufacturing base, job losses and deepening poverty. The health of many residents has suffered as a consequence, and perhaps hardest hit have been residents of the Crescent, as the deteriorating neighborhoods immediately surrounding downtown are known.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:33:36 -0600

Rancho Cucamonga originally was a small agricultural community of 50,000 tucked into Southern California’s San Bernardino County. Today, after several decades of rapid growth, it is an ethnically and racially diverse suburban community of 175,000. Vineyards and citrus groves have been replaced by sprawling housing and retail development, including an abundance of unhealthy food outlets.

These environmental changes have helped to create a perfect storm for obesity and related health problems, particularly in the southwest section of the city.

Philadelphia, PA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:31:24 -0600

It’s the same one-two punch that has hit many urban settings, but in the nation’s sixth biggest city, the combination of an often unsafe environment for physical activity and limited access to healthy food has led to a real public health crisis: Almost half of Philadelphia’s children are overweight or obese.

The specific ills that keep youth from playing outside, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, are easy to list: a high crime rate, tens of thousands of empty lots overtaken by weeds and trash, cracked sidewalks, narrow or congested streets.

Nash and Edgecombe Counties, NC

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:20:45 -0600

Obesity comes early in Nash and Edgecombe counties: 29 percent of young children in the two North Carolina jurisdictions are obese or overweight before kindergarten.

It’s an extremely troubling pattern and one that only gets far worse with age. Among men and women here, nearly three out of every four are obese or overweight. The adult rate places Nash and Edgecombe among the top five heaviest counties in North Carolina.

Milwaukee, WI

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:17:21 -0600

In the late 19th century it was the settlement movement, pioneered by social reformers to alleviate conditions in poor urban areas. It took hold in Milwaukee in 1896, when the city’s first “settlement house” opened its doors to assist newly arrived European immigrants.

Now, in the early 21st century, a similar movement is afoot, and Milwaukee is turning to eight centers that uphold its historic settlement legacy and hoping they will help solve a modern-day ill.

Kingston, NY

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:12:05 -0600

It’s a historic city that was New York’s first capital, a gateway city to the outdoor fun of the Catskill Mountains. Yet here on the banks of the Hudson River, Kingston is also a city trying to recast itself—as a community that helps its residents be physically active and healthy.

With nearly a fifth of its population of 24,000 living in poverty, and about 44 percent of youth overweight or obese, this aspiration will not be easy to achieve.

Jefferson County, AL

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:08:50 -0600

Seven-year-old Sarah lives in East Lake, a small community several miles east of downtown Birmingham. Urban flight hit hard here, and the neighborhood, though making strides forward, is still beset by high rates of poverty, above-average unemployment and under-performing public schools.

Houston, TX

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:26 -0600

Since 2005, when Houston was named the Fattest City in America by Men’s Fitness Magazine, top officials have been on a mission to promote wellness among all residents. Theirs is a formidable task. Houston is the fourth largest city in the country. Its 2 million residents represent a diverse mix of ethnicities, races and nationalities. Household incomes fall below the national average. An estimated 30 percent of the population is uninsured.

Hamilton County, OH

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:02:47 -0600

The vision of Hamilton County Public Health is to transform the lower-income neighborhoods of Cincinnati and four other communities into places where residents can easily find and afford fresh fruits and vegetables, where children and families have safe spaces to walk, play and be active.