Place Matters Blog

New PM Logo 2012 (4)

PLACE MATTERS Mississippi Teams Hold Food Day Meetings to Discuss Local Obesity Crisis

In celebration of Food Day—a nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food—the Mississippi PLACE MATTERS teams held a series of community events to discuss the connection between the rise in obesity and lack of affordable, healthy foods in most Delta neighborhoods. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the nation; more than one in three (36%) Mississippi adults are overweight or obese. The problem is especially acute in the Delta region. Adult obesity rates are even higher (40% or more) in the counties in which the PLACE MATTERS teams are working. Read more here.