Collaborating to combat diet-related disease
Rollins faculty are part of a team that has received an award of $25,000 from General Electric to fight obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases.
The Southwest Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Living aims to improve health outcomes by linking services at the HEALing Community Center, founded by Emory/Grady physician Charles Moore, with nutrition and healthy eating programs at the Wayfield Foods store on MLK Drive in southwest Atlanta.
The coalition will train Wayfield employees on healthy eating and food preparation. These "health ambassadors" will assist shoppers with making healthier food purchases, linking them with other in-store programs, and providing information on services at the HEALing Community Center. The center will provide nutrition prescriptions for healthy foods to patients.
Representatives from Rollins will support the process through training health ambassadors and evaluating the program.
Southwest Atlanta is one of the city’s most under-resourced areas. More than half of the community’s population lives below the poverty line and 98 percent of its children qualify for free or reduced lunches.
"This pilot project creates a continuum of care that reaches from the clinic into the community and back again," says Amy Webb Girard, an assistant professor of global health. "Engaging the community in healthy decision-making won’t stop when they leave the clinic. In creating a supportive environment within the community, we aim to make the healthier option the easier option."
Related Stories:
"Emory, local health clinic and corporate partner collaborate to combat diet-related disease" (Emory Report, 10/27/2016)
"Attention, Atlanta Shoppers" (Emory Magazine, Winter 2017)
Related Links
"GE Announces Winners of HealthyCities Leadership Academy’s Open Innovation Challenge" (General Electric, 10/11/2016)
