In reviewing input from the community, the committee’s 2018-2021 strategies will focus on:

· Working with Durham Public Schools to shift the culture around school meals to be more positive to increase the amount of sales and quality of food

· Shifting the culture and narrative to support an understanding of unhealthy foods and the companies that sell them

· Increasing use and support of existing infrastructure around physical activity and nutrition

· Increasing access to fruits and vegetables through existing programs (e.g., Double Bucks, SNAP)

Between 2015 and 2018, the Obesity, Diabetes, and Food Access committee supported and promoted the Double Bucks program, created two Healthy Mile Trails and educated policymakers about the need for Complete Streets in Durham.

Partnership for a Healthy Durham Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Food Access committee members came together to create this results statement for Durham County residents. Members of the committee represent community members, community-based organizations, local and state-wide non-profit and not-for-profit organizations, local government, and educational institutions. 

Nearly half (46%) of Durham residents who participated in the community health assessment survey said obesity, diabetes, and food access were top issues affecting their communities.^10,13 In 2017, 66% of adults in Regions 3 and 5 were overweight or obese. The percent of people who were overweight or obese in North Carolina was slightly higher (67%).²² In contrast, the majority of Durham Public School (DPS) high school students (63%) surveyed in 2017 during through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey were neither overweight nor obese. Height and weight measurements for adults and high school students were self-reported.¹⁵

Obesity is one of the biggest predictors for type 2 diabetes.²³ The estimated percentage of the Durham population with diabetes (13%) was higher than the national average (9%).^17,7 Durham estimates are based off of prevalence data among Duke and Lincoln Community Health Center patients. Type 2 diabetes varied by race in Durham and is displayed below.

Why are there inequities?

Fast food companies target people of color with ads for unhealthy food and open up more fast food chains in neighborhoods where most residents are people of color compared to
predominantly white neighborhoods.²⁵

This is compounded by the fact that people of color are also more likely to live in areas without access to a nearby grocery store, which leads to lower levels of access to fresh fruits and vegetables.¹ The overabundance of fast food and limited access to healthy food in neighborhoods where most residents are people of color contributes to an increase in obesity and diabetes among people of color.^1,25