2008 County Profiles of Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in California

September 15^th, 2008

2008 County Profiles of Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in California has been published by California Food Policy Advocates

 

This interactive map presents information on food insecurity, food and nutrition programs (food stamps, school meal programs, WIC-or Women, Infants and Children food assistance programs) as well as some health indicators (low birth weight babies, overweight, obese adults and diabetic adults) across 58 counties in California.  Numbers of those eligible for food and nutrition programs are given, as well as numbers and percentages of people eligible however not participating in the programs.  A ranking of counties is given with these indicators, showing how each county compares to each other as well as to the state.

 

 

Selected Findings:

 

• L.A. County ranks in the bottom 10 counties in the state in terms of 7th graders with unhealthy aerobic capacity (42.3%).
• A little over 410,000 persons in L.A. County have type II diabetes.
• L.A. County has 2,168 deaths attributable to diabetes annually.
• Nearly three quarters of a million people in L.A. County (723,000) are eligible for the Food Stamp Program however do not participate.
• Over 1 million students in L.A. County are eligible for federal free lunch programs.
• L.A. County loses about $1billion dollars in federal funds annually due to the combined underutilization of the Food Stamp Program and the School Breakfast Program.
• 740,000 adults in low-income households in L.A. County suffer food insecurity.