Your ZIP code could help determine how long you live in Texas and across the country, according to research from the Episcopal Health Foundation.
The foundation says people who live in neighborhoods without grocery stores, safe parks and access to preventive and emergency health care suffer from more health issues than people who have those resources nearby.
The information is illustrated in a new video comparing the lives of two families who live just miles apart.
Brian Sasser, chief communications officer for the foundation, said a person’s community affects health as much as regular doctor visits, diet and exercise.
“Food deserts are a perfect example of opportunities and resources that are close by that make healthier choices easier,” Sasser said. “What we have to realize is that if we live in an area that has a grocery store right by, those are things that some people living two miles away may not have.”
Sasser said access to adequate care can increase life expectancy by 20 years. He said the lack of sufficient services in some areas contributes to chronic stress and higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure.
The World Health Organization categorizes diabetes as an epidemic, and approximately 3 million people in Texas have been diagnosed with the illness. Some causes of Type 2 diabetes are obesity, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet.
Sasser said those issues need communitywide solutions that remove barriers and expand opportunity, "whether it’s a nonprofit in the area working, whether it’s a government decision to fund sidewalks, whether it’s a neighborhood group that advocates for bringing a healthy food option into the neighborhood — or a farmers market.”
Sasser said the foundation is optimistic the Rural Health Transformation Fund approved in the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will help address some of the problems.
“They’re talking about things like diabetes prevention for that money,” he said. “They’re talking about community health workers connecting people. And we’ve seen a transition. We’re seeing Medicaid start paying for nutrition counseling and medically tailored meals for pregnant mothers.”
Source: Public News Service
