Evaluate, Invest in Advocacy, and Shrink the Change

According to Money magazine, two of our cities are among the best places to live in America, and our county has won awards for its open spaces, parks, sports culture, recreation facilities, and library system. Sugary drinks are the largest source of calories and added sugar in a child's diet today, and daily consumption is a key contributor to heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.2 Further, changing what people personally drink or the drinks they purchase for home use may be easier to accomplish than changing their overall diets and exercise routines-especially if consistent community policies and messaging supports such changes. [...]of these efforts, county bike infrastructure funding has nearly quadrupled over the past three years, and a strong complete-streets ordinance and pedestrian master plan are in the works. Retail redlining (i.e., when healthy food outlets avoid serving areas based on their ethnic-minority composition, rather than economic criteria), targeted marketing, and price differences between healthy and unhealthy food are just some examples of why it may be more difficult for people of color to maintain a healthy diet.4 We can reduce health disparities and work toward racial equity in health by advocating for policies and practices that dismantle long-standing health barriers and promise more equitable health outcomes for people of color; elevating the voices of leaders from communities of color; and strengthening the abilities and resources of community organizations to advance movements for social change.