By: Kelsey Coats

Obesity is a major health concern in Texas, and a new program aims to provide support for improving access to healthy foods and connectivity to safe every day places. This will take place in four Texas counties with some of the highest rates of obesity in the state: Starr, Webb, Maverick, and Hudspeth.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High Obesity Program (HOP) is aiding AgriLife Extension’s Working on Wellness Environments program, which aims to increase access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and safe walking environments and places.

Working on Wellness Environments will focus on these four counties located along the Texas-Mexico border. They are primarily Hispanic, and primarily rural. Each county has an AgriLife Extension coalition leading their communities in the program.

With a population of 64,525 people, Starr County is approximately 1,223 square miles and its two largest urban areas are Rio Grande City and Roma. The county is about an hour and a half west of McAllen, and two hours southeast of Laredo. The three school districts in Starr serve around 17,600 students – that’s almost a third of the population under 18.

Starr County’s Health Coalition is made up of members of the city of Roma, city of Rio Grande City, Starr County, Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation, Rio Grande City Consolidated ISD, Roma ISD, San Isidro ISD, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Advancement, Texas/Mexico Border Coalition, After School Center in Education, FJ Scott Study Club, Prairie View A&M, and AgriLife Extension.

There is a lack of access to healthy fruits and vegetables, in part because the only major grocery store chain in Starr County is half an hour from Roma. Roma has three major dollar store chains, so many people make their food purchases there, instead. This is a concern of the coalition, which also wants to improve existing and add new physical activity amenities for the population.

Head north along the Rio Grande River to find Webb County, which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of San Antonio. This county is around just over 3,360 square miles with a population of 275,910. Laredo is Webb County’s largest city and its three school districts that serve around 68,200 students. Webb’s coalition contains members from Webb County Community Action Agency, Bethany House, Cigna, Las Promesas de Laredo, Jeff Jones Laredo Rotary Club, University of Texas Health San Antonio-Laredo Campus, Texas A&M University Colonias, Border Region Behavioral Health Center, Serving Children and Adults in Need, and AgriLife Extension.

One of the objectives of Webb’s Coalition is to better understand their healthy food environment and systems and make enhancements with efforts tied to a local food pantry and University community garden.

Further north along the Rio Grande, about two hours northwest of Laredo and two and a half hours southwest of San Antonio, Maverick County’s population of 58,485 people live in approximately 1,279 square miles. The majority are in Eagle Pass. The county’s three school districts serve around 15,600 students – nearly a third of the residents are under 18.

Maverick’s Coalition has members of Maverick County Precinct 1, Area Agent on Aging Middle Rio, City of Eagle Pass, Eagle Pass ISD, Maverick County Hospital District, Methodist Healthcare Ministries- Wesley Nurse Program, Southwest Border Area Health Education Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, South Texas Rural Health Service Inc., Behavioral & Substance Abuse Counseling Prevention Education, Texas Department of State Health Services, United Medical Centers Health Education Program, and Prairie View Extension Maverick.

Like the other counties in the program, residents of Maverick County need better access to healthy food choices. That’s one of the coalition focuses, which also include increasing parent involvement in community health and wellness. Other areas of emphasis include creating more opportunities to be healthy in the workplace and possible park improvement for increased access.

Finally, an hour and a half east of El Paso and eight hours west of San Antonio, Hudspeth County is the largest of the HOP grant areas, with 4,570 square miles, but only 4,795 people. Its three major towns are Sierra Blanca, Dell City, and Fort Hancock. The two school districts serve about 500 students.

Hudspeth’s coalition has members from the County Commissioner Court, Hudspeth County Park Management, Emergency Management, Sierra Blanca Community Enhancement Organization, 4-H Youth, SBISD School Board, and Texas A&M AgriLife.

Hudspeth’s large land size, small population, and lack of water are barriers to access to fresh fruits and vegetables and this is a focus of the coalition. Most residents drive to Van Horn, in Culberson County, or El Paso to get their groceries. The coalition wants downtown areas to be more walkable since there are few places to walk to and people are largely dependent on cars. The coalition has also expressed a desire to reopen the public library, which could be an everyday place to walk or bike.

The Working on Wellness Environments team is excited to work with and learn from these counties and coalitions and expand their work and best practices to other Texas communities.

Resources

https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/quickFacts.aspx (district enrollment numbers)

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts (population, land area, race and Hispanic origin)