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Community Organization Encourages Buying Local Foods
< < Back toThe Appalachian region offers an abundance of nutritious local produce and by making the choice to buy locally produced foods, you’re also choosing to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Initiative coordinator Louise DiLullo says choosing to eat locally produced foods is a step in the right direction. “Local foods are more nutritious because they don’t have to travel as far to reach the consumer so they retain more of their nutritional value. These foods are also less processed so they are lower in sodium and fat content,” she said.
DiLullo spoke at the Local Food Economy Town Hall Gathering Wednesday in support of buying local produce and foods as a healthy lifestyle choice. Area entrepreneurs and activists supporting locally produced foods spoke at the meeting as well.
DiLullo says one-third of adults as well as one-third of pre-school children are obese in the Appalachian region. Live Healthy Appalachia created a program called CHIP to help educate adults on how to live a healthier lifestyle. Another way the organization combats obesity is through their “Food is Elementary” program which teaches kids to make better nutritional food choices.
Along with fighting obesity, Live Healthy Appalachia battles rising chronic disease rates. In 2006, the Appalachian Health Institute reported that the Southeast Ohio region had some of the highest chronic disease rates in the nation. Live Healthy Appalachia’s mission is to fight these high disease statistics.
Live Healthy Appalachia has teamed up with the City of Athens, the Athens County Health Department, Athens County commissioners, Athens city and county schools and Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Health Sciences and Professions to achieve their objective of lowering chronic disease rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75 percent of all chronic diseases are related to lifestyle choices.
According to Rural Action, an organization out of Trimble that works to “revitalize” the Appalachian region, Ohio University Culinary Services recently agreed to purchase one-half percent more local produce to serve at their dining halls.
Athens boasts one of the best Farmer’s Markets in the state and is the largest vendor for local produce in the area. Twenty-two Athens-area restaurants use locally-produced ingredients in their food. These restaurants serve a variety of foods like pizza, Mexican, baked goods, barbeque, hot dogs and hamburgers.