Todayshealthsite.com

Todays Health Article

January 21st, 2011

Today’s Article brings  a new view point on how are health has been influence by where we shop and also where we live. A recent study to be released on Walmarts super centres has been grabbed up on the Internet. This study actually implicates, that Walmart by merely their presence, is adding pounds to our waistline, contributing to our obesity. I have included some excerpts and the link to this article. This article comes at a time  when Wallmart has been under fire, like many others, to take steps to get obesity under control in our Nation.

  Walmart is now the largest grocery store chain in the country, and a new study says that the more super centers the company opens, the heavier the people living nearby become.

From the Montreal Gazette:

“The researchers found that one new Walmart supercentre per 100,000 residents meant an average weight gain of 1.5 pounds per person sometime over a 10-year period dating from the store’s opening. It also boosted the obesity rate by 2.3 percentage points, meaning that for every 100 people, two who weren’t obese ended up in that category after a superstore opened. ”

 One of the study’s authors says the root cause is both the low cost of food at Walmart and the quality of the food sold there.

“I think the most obvious story is that Walmart lowers the price of foods and a lot of the foods it has big price advantages on are the processed, inner-aisle types of food that aren’t that good for you,” explains the researcher from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

The study, which will be published in the March issue of the Journal of Urban Economics, found that women, low-income families and those in less densely populated areas are the ones most likely to experience weight gain after a new Walmart opens.

Study: When New Walmarts Open, People Get Fatter

Walmart Actions

Wallmart has reacted, unsure if  its due to this derogatory influence, the impact this may have to their customers, or the influece that Michelle Oboma has had in campaigning, regarding obesity with our youth.

News Release

 Walmart  announce their 5 year program  to provide customers with “healthier and more affordable food choices. This announcement  being given in Washington, DC with First Lady Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama who is a strong  supporter of  Walmarts Actions.

Walmart’s five-year plan labeled  ”Let’s Move”,  was developed in cooperation with Michelle Obama, aims to reduce unhealthy salts, fats and sugars in thousands of packaged foods. This program will begin by slashing prices on fruits and vegetables, to make these healthy choices, more attractive to its customers.

The nation’s largest retailer will set specific targets for lowering sodium and trans fats in Walmart food products, modeled after similar guidelines used in New York City’s health initiative, according to details first published in The New York Times.

Walmart is encouraging major food suppliers

With Walmart encouraging others to follow  Kraft  may be faced to adopt the new standards. Since they are the two powers in the Industry. Even McDonald’s may be influenced or encouraged to make changes in their fast food.

Todays Health Comments

Today I applaud the thought (“Lets Move”) of even a little  change, is for the better. Is this just another marketing strategy for Walmart when under fire, only time will tell. Almost all will know shortly, if this will be action to draw more customers to the fruit isle…passing through the same center isle that has all the junk food. That may sound a little pessimistic, but Walmart brings a certain reputation along with their need to stay number 1! It is always going to market driven.  After all, we are responsible for our health today and the choices of food we eat, not Walmart.