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Rates of overweight and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the United States, and no single approach will turn them around. However, the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provide broad coverage of high-risk groups, afford potentially effective ways to promote healthier lifestyles that can decrease the prevalence of obesity. Governors have considerable opportunity to curb the health problems caused by excess weight through innovative changes in FSP and WIC coupled with other initiatives with the target populations.Financial and physical access to nutritious foods, in addition to education and guidance on healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices should be core components of increasing the health impact of FSP and WIC. To a large extent, state actions thus far have focused primarily on physical or geographical access, including the following types of innovations: - Pennsylvania launched a Fresh Food Financing Initiative to increase the number of supermarkets and grocery stores in the state's underserved communities.
- In New York, Food Change created the Harlem Community Supported Agriculture Project to give low-income families consistent access to healthful foods produced by farmers upstate.
- California organizes farmers' markets in low income areas through the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. The program promotes demand by providing FMNP checks to its WIC recipients, also increasing financial access.
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